The Lost Sister
by Megan Sleevewillow
Summary: A little over a year after the Bracelet of Anubis debacle, a woman shows up on the O'Connells' doorstep claiming to be Rick's sister and the O'Connells find themselves venturing down familiar paths once more. First of a three-part AU series with the second installment coming before Summer 2013!
1. Kit

As a bolt of lightning ripped through the London sky, soft rain began pattering on the spires of the O'Connell mansion. A cold gust blew through the open window in the study, fluffing the edges of the scroll Evy was reading. Using two pencils to keep the scroll from rolling closed; Evy left her desk to close the window. Rain streaked down the glass as the last rays of sun were swallowed up by dark and heavy clouds. "We could use the rain," Evy commented to no one before returning to her desk and taking up the scroll once more.

"_Still_ working on that?" Rick teased, leaning in the doorway. How long he'd been there one couldn't say, but his elbow rested against the frame as though he'd made himself comfortable for a while.

"_Yes_." Evy looked over the top of her spectacles, a smile playing on her lips. "My quarterly report is due soon, and wouldn't the museum be oh-so-disappointed if they funded a rather dangerous expedition into Nubia for this scroll and received nothing in return?" Her eyes strayed back to the hieroglyphs littering the papyrus. "Imagine if it were to _disintegrate_ before I finished. It would be awful."

"Good point." Rick crossed to his wife as she began immersing herself in the ancient paper once more. His fingers slowly danced up her shoulders and came to rest on the either side of her neck, slowly beginning to rub as he spoke. "I just thought that maybe after Alex is in bed we could, you know," Leaning down, the husband kissed his wife on the ear before coyly whispering, "take a break from this and spend some time together."

Try as she might to keep a stern and scholarly expression, Evy couldn't help but smile as her husband's warm breath tickled her ear. _Oh, history is in trouble when you are around Mr. O'Connell_. "That does sound nice." She admitted, taking off her spectacles and turning to look up at her husband.

"Yeah?" Rick bent down and placed a kiss on her nose.

Evy giggled and let out a sigh of joyous defeat. "Yes." She craned her neck up and returned her husband's kiss with one on the lips. "Just let me put this scroll back."

Once the scroll was carefully rolled and replaced in its box, the couple left the darkened study, arms around each other's waist. "Alex's school called." Rick began as they meandered past the shelves of books and artifacts and walls hung with paintings. "They want to move him up a level."

"Do they?" Evy asked, her voice full of pleasure.

"Yes. Something about exceeding expectations in all fields – except maybe math."

"I can't say I blame him." Evy laughed. "What do you think?"

"He goes up a level, he has to make new friends and – Well, don't you think he's already had to do some growing up before his time with—" Rick simply nodded with his head. They both knew what he was talking about.

"We'll ask him." Evy decided. "If he wants to, I see no reason why he shouldn't." Rick nodded and the couple walked in silence for a moment before Evy softly said, "Rick… I've had more dreams these past few weeks."

Rick stopped in his tracks, his arm tightening slightly around her waist. "Great." His blue eyes narrowed and his voice lowered. "What… what are they about?"

"They aren't bad dreams." Evy said quickly, doing her best to soothe him. Since she died, Rick was understandably more protective of her. She regretted saying it immediately, but she thought touching the subject of the Bracelet of Anubis had opened the door of opportunity. There was nothing to do for it now but to soldier on. "They don't feel like the others. These ones are… happy."

"Happy?" Rick echoed.

Evy nodded. "They have a person in them. I can't tell you what they look like, but I'm usually… chasing them. Playing tag or something of the like."

Rick's brow furrowed but they began walking again. He sighed a little and as they descended the stairs he intoned, "If they don't take us to a place where you get incredible _déjà vu_ like last time, you can have as many dreams as you want. But," They paused at the foot of the stairs and Rick spun Evy to him, "You have to promise I'm the only exceptionally attractive man in them."

Evy laughed. "Deal." She leaned in and gave him a kiss that lasted perhaps a bit too long.

"Mum, Dad, I am right here." The couple pulled away to see Alex sitting in one of the cushioned armchairs tucked beside a bookcase, a large book open on his knees. His eight year-old face was wrinkled in disgust.

Evy muffled a giggle and gave her husband's hands a squeeze. "Sorry, love. But it's almost time for bed." A loud thunderclap muffled her last word and the pitter-patter of rain turned into a louder drumming noise.

"And now you are going to send me upstairs, alone, while there's a raging storm going on outside?" Alex asked, his eyebrow arching.

"Sounds scary, doesn't it?" Rick asked, approaching his son. But not as scary as…THE KRAKEN!" His hands shot out and grabbed his son under the arms, pulling him out of his seat into the air. Alex's book fell to the floor as Rick raised the boy over his head, letting out roaring and screeching noises as he wobbled his son in the air for a few moments before they both collapsed onto the sofa in a peal of laughter.

"No, not as scary I guess." Alex chortled, propping himself up by the elbows on his father's chest.

"Didn't think so." Rick ruffled his son's hair. "Now go wash up."

"Ok." Alex picked up his book and carefully replaced it before giving his mother a kiss. He took the stairs two at a time and disappeared upstairs.

"Did you see the reverence with which he put that book away?" Rick asked, arching an eyebrow. "More like you. Every. Single. Day."

"Not if 'the Kraken' has anything to do with it, I bet." Evy rebutted, slipping over the back of the couch and coming to rest in Rick's arms. "And that book—" Rick silenced his wife with a kiss. They may have stayed that way for quite some time if a harsh rapping hadn't sounded from the door. "Who on earth could that be in this weather?"

Rick groaned. "Jonathan…" Evy poked him.

"I'll get it." Just in case it _was_ Jonathan. She slipped from Rick (though he bade her to linger a moment longer by hanging onto her fingertips). Through the front door's glass she could see a thin shadowy figure. It didn't _look _like Jonathan. Evy opened the door and was astonished because, whomever she was expecting to see, she didn't expect to see a woman, years younger than herself, shivering in the drizzling rain. Her dark brown hair was clumped together from the rain, beads of water dripping off the ends. The gown she was wearing was so threadbare and worn that there was no distinguishable color to it. The worn leather strap of a satchel hung around her skeletal shoulders, and the only lively thing about this wretched-looking creature was her striking blue eyes.

Whether this woman was a transient or, perhaps a stranded motorist, Evelyn wasn't going to make her stay out in this weather. "Oh dear, come in, come in out of the rain!"

The woman shuffled in meekly, both of her hands clapped to her shoulders as though she were determined to stop them from shivering. She dripped onto the rug as Evy opened the coat closet, pulling out one of Jonathan's wayward overcoats and covering the woman's shoulders with it. "Thank you." She murmured, bony fingers clutching the lapels. Rick had righted himself on the couch at her entrance, and he stood awkwardly, as though unsure what else to do.

"Now what can we help you—" Evy began, but at the sight of Rick, the woman left the rug and walked toward Rick, leaving drops of water on the wooden floor.

"Are – Are you Richard O'Connell?" The woman asked.

The man looked to his wife, concern widening his eyes. "I am. I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

The hair on the back of Evy's neck stood up as the girl stopped in her tracks, trembling from cold or nerves. "I know this must seem crazy but… But…" The woman stuttered, almost unable to speak. Finally, she proclaimed, "I'm your sister."

The rain seemed deafening in the silence that followed. Evy eyed the girl critically and turned her gaze to her husband. She had never before heard him mention having a sister. He barely mentioned his parents, for that matter, but they had passed away long ago. How could he not mention a living sister?

Rick's lips were drawn into a line. "Do you have proof?"

"Of course." She pulled the beaten leather satchel from under the overcoat. "I just –" She fumbled with the latch for a moment before Evy intervened.

"Well let's not stand out here and let you catch your death of cold." Evy placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. She flinched slightly. "Rick, go get our guest a towel. I'll take her into the kitchen and fix us all something hot to drink."

Rick nodded, looking as though he were in a daze, and stumbled off to the downstairs lavatory. By the time he ventured into the kitchen with a large, fluffy towel in hand, Evy had settled the woman into a chair at the small dining table the O'Connell's preferred to the large one in the formal dining room. The kettle was already boiling, and Evy poured them each a cup of hot tea as the woman shucked off the overcoat for the towel. "My name is Kit… O'Connell." She introduced herself as she brought her satchel forward. From inside she drew out several old pieces of paper. As her hands dipped in and out, Evy spied a worn shawl that had once been bright red and gold inside. It cushioned a hairbrush. The woman wondered if that was all Kit owned.

Kit spoke as she smoothed out the papers with her towel-dried hands. "You know that when you were seven, Richard, our parents died in a car crash. You were sent to Cairo Orphanage, and I was put into a foster family of an English couple who couldn't have children. They also had misfortune fall upon them, and by the time I was five, I was sent to an orphanage in Sudan. It—" Her voice faltered for a second and she coughed. "Pardon me." After a sip of tea, her voice worked once more. "It had administrative problems and the kids were turned out into the streets. I ran with some of the orphanage kids – I guess you could call us a gang, but we were just surviving – through most of Africa. Once I matured, I made my way back to Sudan. The orphanage had reopened and I wanted to find you."

"Pardon my asking, but if you were a street kid, how are you so well spoken?" Evy asked. She would be critical of the situation unless Kit's evidence was concrete. So far, Rick hadn't objected to anything, but one never knew.

"When we got into South Africa around the time I was twelve, I was seized by a school for girls there since I was white and English was my native language." Kit replied. "They kept me until I became a woman and, if you listen to my orphan friends, ruined me." The thin woman shrugged. "It was a place with a bed and three hot meals away. I think they were jealous."

"But…" Rick hadn't touched his tea and his hands clenched together the entire time. "I remember… I remember a little sister born just before the accident. They never told me anything when they took me to the orphanage. I assumed she had…" Rick became silent and then asked, "These papers are all the proof you have?"

Kit reached into the bodice of her gown. Tucked away on a scrap of ribbon that looked ancient was a tarnished oval locket made of silver. She reverently pulled the ribbon over her head and opened it. "This was Mother's." She scooted the open locket to Rick. Inside was a small black and white photograph with a family of four. The husband had the same nose and strong jaw as Rick did. The wife's hair was pinned expertly on her head and in her arms was a tiny baby swaddled all in white. The boy stood at attention next to his father, a newsboy's cap on his head.

"That's us. And these papers," Her bony fingers pointed to and traced over words as she spoke. "I got them all from the Sudanese orphanage. Look here – Madeline and James O'Connell, date of death... Son: Richard O'Connell – There's your thumb-print – Daughter: Katharine O'Connell – There's mine." From the inside of her satchel, she pulled out a small round tin and a scrap of paper. Opening the tin, she pressed her thumb into the fine charcoal dust within. When it was thoroughly blackened, Kit rolled the thumb on the paper and placed the thumb-print next to the worn record of the baby. Rick's fingers clutched at both pieces of paper. One was bigger than the other, but they were the same.

"And, see under distinguishing marks for Katharine?" Kit added, pointing to it. "'Jagged scar on back of neck due to shattered glass from automobile accident.'" She leaned forward, setting her forehead on the table as she pulled her hair up. Running up into her neckline, a faint scar jagged like lightning on the flesh of her neck.

Rick had blanched. He looked to Evy and back to the papers as Kit sat back up. This seemed unreal – he barely remembered having a little sister at all and always thought she was taken in the same collision that claimed his parents. But here she was, proof plainly provided that she _was_ his sister. He had spent so many years thinking himself to be last O'Connell and now… he wasn't.

Rick reached for Kit's small work-worn hands and squeezed them together. "I thought you had died." He croaked.

Kit shook her head. "I came to find you." Ignoring the table between them, they both rose and embraced. Under Rick's hands, he could feel how frail and thin his little sister _was_. What kind of life had she been living?

When they broke their embrace, Rick turned to see his wife dabbing at wet eyes. He laughed, the color immediately returning to his face. "Well, Kit, no more calling me Richard. It's Rick." He took his wife by the hand. "And this is Evelyn, my wife. Or Evy. Everyone calls her Evy."

A trembling smile curled Kit's lips. "It's a pleasure."

"It is." Evy replied, sniffing once to rid her of her tears. "We'll get to know each other much more over the coming weeks, surely! But first thing's first – we need to get you out of those clothes. And you'll stay with us, won't you?"

"I –" Kit began.

"It's no trouble at all. And we could call to your hotel for your things." Evy promised.

Kit looked shell shocked. "That won't be necessary, but, um… If you don't mind me staying –"

"Of course we don't." Rick assured her. "I – I've spent my entire life without you. I don't want to keep it that way."

Kit seemed overwhelmed. She shuffled her feet slightly and nodded. "Thank you, Rick."

After Kit had gathered up the papers, Evy led her upstairs toward their guest bedroom. They passed Alex's room. The door was slightly open and Evy could hear her son humming in his personal bathroom. How surprised would he be to learn he had an aunt!

"We also have a son." Evy informed her new sister-in-law. "But I think you'll meet your nephew tomorrow."

"Nephew!" Kit exclaimed. "How old is he?"

"Ten. His name is Alex. But he's already preparing for bed and you look absolutely freezing. In fact…" Evy changed course. "I'm not putting you to bed wet and shivering."

"Don't bother yourself –"

"I am unbothered." Evy said with a smile. "Come."

She led Kit to the bedroom she shared with Rick and began drawing a hot bath for the woman in their master bathroom. They went through Evelyn's wardrobe and found two gowns, older in fashion and from before Evy had become pregnant with Alex. Some stockings and shoes were also found, and there were some new chemises Evy had just laundered that would do until they could get something else for Kit. And finally, a warm woolen nightgown was found for the woman.

After Kit had washed and been settled in the guest room, Evy returned to the kitchen and found Rick sitting at the table, head in his hands as he gazed at the locket Kit had left. Without saying a word, his wife sat beside him.

"I can't believe I didn't know. I didn't _ask_. I never thought –" He began.

"It isn't your fault, darling." Evy murmured, reaching over and squeezing his arm. "What matters is that you know now. And you can both be there for each other." She squeezed his arm again. "And now she has a sister-in-law, a nephew – think of that. Yesterday she had no family, and tomorrow… who knows what that will bring."

"Yeah. You're right." Rick chewed on his lip for a moment before asking, "You get the feeling that all she has was in that satchel?" His wife nodded. "If she has nowhere else, would you mind if she –"

"She can stay here as long as she likes." Evy replied, kissing him on the cheek. "You've let Jon weather his storms here how many times? She's family, after all."

Rick took one of Evy's hands and squeezed it between his own. "Thanks, hon. Now where's the rest of dinner? I bet she's starving."

Evy helped Rick load up a tray with several pieces of bread, a few slices of beef, chateau potatoes, and the rest of the tea. He knocked on the door before entering to find Kit braiding her damp hair for the night. "Hungry?" Her brother asked.

"Oh, that's very kind… Thank you." Kit replied, letting her braid loose as Rick sat the tray on her bedside table.

"Mind if I stay? Maybe we could… Talk?"

Sure." Kit said, motioning to the armchair next to the window. She sat on her bed and, at first, ate slowly and politely, but as the pair spoke her tempo picked up and she began bolting down food.

Rick began their conversation by asking a question. "How did you find us? I mean, the papers and whatnot of course… But they wouldn't have our address on them, obviously."

"They didn't." Kit tore off a hunk of beef and washed it down with her tea. "I kept my eyes open and one day, they mentioned the famous archaeological team of Mr. and Mrs. Richard O'Connell. I can't remember what you'd excavated." She took a bite of bread and added a slice of potato. "It mentioned you both had returned home to England. Didn't have the money, but I knew where to go."

Rick nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Couple weeks. Worked as a maid aboard a steamer from Spain headed north. Wasn't bad, I guess." She shrugged and took a sip of tea. "Headed to London, had to look up a couple investigatory firms and then the postal service and here I am."

"You could have written –" Rick offered.

His sister gave another shrug. "If it had been me and I hadn't been looking, I wouldn't have trusted a letter."

A smile twitched Rick's lips. "I'm glad you found me. If I had known – Well, I'm glad you're more enterprising than I am."

"Or stubborn at least." Kit said with a smile. In their conversation, she had devoured the beef, bolted down the pieces of bread, chowed away the potatoes, and drained most of the tea. Rick spotted a crust of bread left on the plate and nothing more.

"Was that enough? I can go raid the pantry for more." Rick offered.

She laughed. "I've had plenty, I promise. Thank you. You and your wife… you're so kind."

Rick smiled. "Evy and I talked and… if you don't have anywhere else to go – or even if you do – we'd like you to stay with us as long as you like."

"I'd hate to presume –"

"You wouldn't be at all. I want to get to know my little sister."

Kit's smile was small and sincere. "I'd love to get to know you."

Rick left the room a few moments later with Kit turning in for the night and the tray upon his hip. He closed the door slightly as she turned out the light and lingered for a moment, watching his sister settle in to sleep. His _sister_. The world was so lonely before he had met Evy. Perhaps if he had known Kit was out there – What could they have done? He could have gone and got her when he was old enough, or found her. Maybe they could have done something better for both of them together… But that might have meant he would have never met Evy, would have never been Alex's father. Evy was right. There was no helping yesterday, but tomorrow… tomorrow was something he could change.


	2. Jonathan, Katrina, and Ahm Shere

The next day dawned with clear skies after the storm. Raindrops still clung to the O'Connell mansion, shimmering in the early morning light. Kit had nestled deep into her bed during the night, wrapped snugly in the clean linen and cozy quilt. The risen sun filled her room with a golden light and woke her. She stretched before opening her eyes only to find a similar blue pair staring back from that gap in her doorway. "AAAH!" Startled, she burrowed down into her sheets.

"Oh! Cripes." Alex quickly walked to her bedside, gently patting the sheets. "Sorry – Mum told me about you this morning – I was just seeing if you were up yet."

Kit's head poked up by her pillows and she eyed him warily before pulling herself up to sit. "Um – Alex, I take it?"

The blond boy smiled broadly. "Yeah. Mum and Dad already told you about me?"

Kit nodded. "Not much – I guess they wanted me to learn more by getting to know you."

Alex sat down on Kit's bed, his face suddenly becoming serious."You do know, as my auntie, that you now have eight birthdays, Christmases, and Easters to make up for, right?"

Kit blanched. "Um –"

Alex's face split into a grin. "Just putting you on, Auntie Kit."

Kit laughed. "You had me going for a second. Nice one."

"Say," Alex stood. "Have you gotten a tour of the house yet?"

"Not properly I guess."

Alex grabbed Kit's hand and pulled on it. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour!"

Rick could hear their footsteps upstairs as he stood at the stove. "Maybe you _shouldn't_ have told Alex just yet." He commented to Evy as he cracked an egg into the hot skillet that was already brimming with the scrambled fruits of his labor. "I'm sure she wouldn't have minded sleeping in."

"I have a feeling if we hadn't said anything to Alex we would have heard lots of screaming this morning when he moseyed on by the guest room on the way downstairs and saw someone in the bed." Evy replied from the kitchen tables as she placed the settings and silverware. "Check the scones for me, will you darling?"

"Uh…" Rick pulled the oven open. "Still whitish?"

"Couple more minutes then."

"Think she likes bacon?" Rick asked, prodding the sizzling strips in the pan next to the skillet of eggs.

"I'm sure we have enough food to go around if she doesn't, sweetie." Evy finished placing her last set of silverware and crossed to join her husband at the stovetop. "Why, trying to fatten her up?"

"…Maybe…" Rick admitted.

A few moments later, Evy called up, "Breakfast! And Alex, you best be in your uniform with your face washed!"

"You're going to make him go to school?" Rick queried, carrying the steaming dishes filled with eggs and bacon to the table. Evy finished sliding the scones into a bowl lined with a kitchen towel and covered the hot pastries with the extra length.

"Dear, it's _Wednesday_." Evy reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but it's not every day he meets an aunt he never knew about." Rick replied, grabbing the bowl of sliced fresh fruit from beside the sink and placing it in the center of the table. "I thought we might head into the city – Picnic at Hyde Park, maybe get a photograph done –"

Evy laughed. "Slow down, darling, there will be plenty of time for that in the coming weeks."

Kit and Alex arrived, Alex in his school uniform and Kit wearing one of the blue gowns Evy loaned her. "Auntie Kit helped me with my tie." Alex announced as he pulled out a seat for his aunt. She let out a laugh and thanked him as he scooted it in. "But can't I stay home with you all today?"

"We'll talk about it after breakfast." Evy replied as she sat, her husband pushing in her chair behind her. "Eggs, Kit?"

Everyone's plates were full of hot food and Kit was pursing her lips at the strength of Rick's brewed coffee when the front door closed. Jonathan soon entered the kitchen, dressed in a dashing three-piece suit and possessing a bouncy spring in his gait. "Hello, everyone!" He greeted, not even stopping as he crossed to the tea kettle at the stove and poured himself a cup. "Beautiful morning isn't it, especially after a storm like that!" He left his cup on the counter but reached to the table, grabbing a scone and taking a bite of it. "Sorry I didn't drop by last night, but I met –" It was at that moment he noticed a new face at the table. He immediately did a double take before flashing his pearly whites at Kit. "Hello! Who might this be? A friend, Evy? Why, isn't she the loveliest creature?"

"_Ahem_… Jonathan –" Rick began. He'd seen that grin before.

Ignoring his brother-in-law, Jonathan stuffed the scone in his pocket. "Jonathan Carnahan is the name, Miss. I crave your indulgence and I do beg your forgiveness for being so rude!" He offered his hand and Kit accepted. "Feel free to call me Jon!" The man intoned before leaning down to give the brunette a kiss upon her hand.

"Jonathan –"

Rick was still disregarded as Jonathan clutched Kit's hands in both of his own. "I own London's best casino, Ahm Shere, you know, the one showcasing the American vocalist Katrina de Lujun, yes her!" Jonathan chuckled at his own good fortune. "Maybe sometime, you could drop by and I could give you your own personal tour! Yes?"

Rick's hand reached over to take hold of his brother-in-law's. "_Jonathan_."

Releasing Kit's hands (but giving her a wink), Jonathan turned to Rick. "Yes?"

"This is Kit. My sister." And with that, Rick squeezed Jonathan's fingers.

The man blanched. "_Ah_." He lamented, whether it was in pain or in regret (or possibly both) it was hard to say. Rick released Jonathan's fingers and Jonathan bowed to Kit. "I am so very sorry – I never thought – Never _knew_ –" He turned to grab his cup of tea and jammed his hip right into the corner of the table, causing the furniture to shift. "Ah! So sorry I'm just going to… Go over here. And dig myself a grave; make it easier for your brother."

Kit bit back on her laughter and gave Jonathan a nod. "It's a pleasure, Jon."

Jonathan straightened the table and took Kit's hand once more, giving it a good shake. "My sincerest apologies once more. I'm afraid my mouth gets away from me at times."

"You just need to allow time for your brain to catch up." Rick rebutted, taking a sip of his coffee.

Jonathan looked back to his brother-in-law and nodded. "Quite." He placed his tea at the table's corner, grabbed a plate and fork and the spare chair from beside the icebox and joined the family for breakfast. He eyed Kit once more before looking to Evy. "You never told me Rick had a sister."

"It's a long story." Kit informed him.

"Ah." Jonathan nodded and began filling his dish with breakfast fare.

"Who did you meet last night, Uncle Jon?" Alex asked. He hadn't been allowed inside the Ahm Shere Casino before. His parents didn't think it was a healthy environment for children (and Alex was ready to argue that he wasn't a child, he was ten for cripes' sake!), so any news about the goings on of the casino intrigued the boy.

Jonathan's smile gleamed at his nephew. "Katrina de Lujun, my boy. She's madly famous and the best thing to come out of the states since the telephone!" Jonathan shoveled eggs into his mouth as he continued speaking, almost overwhelming himself with joy as he spoke. "She wants to start her European tour in London at the Ahm Shere! We have her for the month, but maybe I could squeeze out another two!" The man sighed dreamily. "Imagine! Sweethearts taking each other to hear her romantic tunes, paying ridiculously high prices to see her at _my_ casino –"

"This isn't exactly breakfast table conversation, is it Jon?" Evelyn asked, her eyebrows arching.

Jonathan swallowed and grinned at his sister. "If you don't like it, then I suppose that I'll have to find another three – apologies, _four_," Jon winked at Kit, "People to fill my VIP table at opening night on Saturday!"

"Mum, can we go?" Alex begged, his fork falling to the table.

"I don't know –" Evy said, looking between her brother and her husband.

"I don't know if lounge singers are really something –" Rick began as he looked to his son.

"Please? You've never let me go to Uncle Jon's casino and if we're going to a show, I obviously won't have enough time to pick up any habits." Alex argued. "Plus Auntie Kit wants to go, don't you Auntie Kit?"

The brunette didn't expect to be pulled into this conversation and her face clearly showed it. "Uh…" She looked between her family members and shrugged. "I've never been to a concert _per_ _se_ –"

"I promise nothing but family entertainment." Jonathan swore, smiling once more. "You'll all come, won't you?"

Rick gave his wife a shrug and she sighed. "We'd love to, Jonathan."

"Excellent!" Jonathan took another bite before looking at the kitchen clock. "Blimey, is that the time? I must run!" He stood, placing his plate in the sink. "If I don't see you before Saturday, doors open at seven! Kit, it was enchanting to meet you, be good Alex, and Rick, Evy thanks for the breakfast!" And with that Jonathan was gone from the house as suddenly as he arrived.

"…Who was that again?" Kit asked once the door closed.

"My brother." Evy replied, laughing a little.

"Is he –"

"Always like that?" Rick finished for her. "Pretty much."

"Jonathan is right, it's getting late." Evy said, looking to the clock. "Alex, do you have everything in your rucksack?"

"Course, Mum, but do I _have_ to go to school?"

"Tell you what." Evy looked to her husband and back to Kit. "Go for the morning and we'll pick you up at midday. Your dad has some plans." Rick smiled and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Besides, I think a trip into the city is called for. We have to get some proper clothes for the show, I suppose."

"Shopping?" Rick groaned. "Really?"

"_Yes_, really." Evy replied, giving him a poke. "Unless you want Kit running around in my old clothes all the time."

"I don't mind." Kit said, putting her hands up defensively. "You've already been overwhelmingly kind –"

"Let us continue our streak then!" Evelyn laughed. "Is that alright with you, darling? You wanted to go into the city anyway."

Rick nodded. "Sure. I'll go bring the car around." Rick picked up his dish, threw back the rest of his coffee, and put his dishware in the sink before leaving the kitchen.

"I'm not going to get a new suit, am I?" Alex asked, his eyes suspicious now that the subject of shopping was brought up.

"Maybe a tie. Would you like a new tie?" Evy asked her son. He shrugged. "Alright then. Now finish your breakfast and let's be off!"

Saturday evening came soon enough. It was once again raining as the O'Connells drove into the city, all dressed to the nines. Alex could barely sit still with excitement and it was not a moment too soon when the car pulled up underneath the canopy of the Ahm Shere Casino in downtown London. A bright neon sign glowed on the exterior of the several story building, featuring a yellow pyramid with a glowing diamond at the top and the words "Ahm Shere Casino" written in swanky handwriting. Jonathan was waiting for his family next to the automobile attendant, both staying out of the weather due to the cover of the canopy. Rick's door was opened first, and as he skirted around to open the door for Evy, the backdoor was opened, releasing Kit and Alex. "Kit! How lovely you do look!" Jonathan sighed as he surveyed her chocolate gown. "And the new hairdo – Absolutely smashing! Shorter, wavier styles are all the rage these days or…" Jonathan cleared his throat, "So I'm told! Would you like me to escort you?"

"Uncle Jon, are you trying to steal my date?" Alex asked, offering his arm to his aunt. His uncle now saw the two were wearing the same color and Alex had a smug smile on his face as his aunt took his arm.

"Wouldn't dream of it, old boy." Jonathan replied, ruffling his nephew's hair. He turned away as Alex groaned in distress and the man gave his attention to his sister and brother-in-law. Evy wore a gown of emerald green while her husband opted for his rather American cowboy style of suspenders, no tie, and an overcoat. "Glad you could make it with the rain! Come on in!"

The inside of the casino was warm and noisy, not to mention hazy with tobacco smoke. Roulette and card tables were the guts of the place with more intimate booths tucked along the sides of the main room. Curtains hung at the entrances to the booths should the occupants wish for privacy. Girls in skimpy outfits selling cigarettes milled about while waiters carrying trays of food weaved in and out of the crowd, somehow managing not to spill. Kit heard an astonished, "Wow!" from Alex a time or two as they passed beneath women wearing feathered costumes swaying back and forth on bejeweled swings up above a jazz band tucked near the front doors. The men were all wearing suits or tuxedos and the women draped on their arms were crusted in jewels and layered in silks. For the eight year-old boy it was all a very foreign and glamorous sight.

"We're a bit slow right now!" Jonathan informed his family. "We always pick up closer to midnight! Ah, Izzy! How are things going this evening?" Jonathan asked, bringing their procession to a halt at one of the booths. Sitting in the middle and lit by a red-shaded lamp sat the dirigible pilot. On each arm were two women whose male counterparts were busy enjoying the casino. "Kit, this is my erm… Business partner, Izzy! Izzy, you know the O'Connells, and this is Rick's sister, Kit!"

"Didn't know you had a sister!" Izzy replied, nodding to the family. He was dressed in a white coat and tails and over his left eye he wore a silken white eye-patch festooned with pearls. Upon leaving Ahm Shere, the O'Connells had to endure the argument between Jonathan and Izzy concerning ownership percentages of the diamond during the entire flight to Cairo. They finally came to an arrangement that Izzy would take ten percent of the diamond and partnership in his choice of Jonathan's investments. The casino suited both men well. "Ladies, this is Jonathan Carnahan, my partner. Enjoy the show, all!"

"Keep an eye on the place while we're in the lounge, won't you, Izzy?" Jonathan asked, leading his family once more.

"Of course, Jon." Izzy turned his attention back to his companions. "So, the way I lost me eye—"

"Again? Izzy, take off that stupid eye patch already. You look like a pirate." Rick called over his shoulder before they were out of earshot. He smiled and muttered to Evy, "That should make his night interesting."

They only faintly heard Izzy's strained laugh before he stuttered, "And the way is…I gotta go!"

The entertainment lounge of the Ahm Shere was christened "The Diamond of Osiris." Twin golden effigies of the god guarded an enormous diamond at the top of the double doors heading inside and the mood was set with hieroglyphs and scarab beetles carved into the wall. "You do know that most of those hieroglyphs are nothing but words for food and animals?" Evy asked.

"If you notice, there's a good sprinkling of 'amenophus' there too." Jonathan replied, his eyes sparkling.

The inside of the lounge was rimmed with cozy booths similar to those in the casino. Separate tables dotted the main floor in front of the stage with a small square cleared away in the center for dancing. Jonathan led his family to one of the front tables. "Best seats in the house!" He promised his family as they all sat.

"This place isn't too shabby." Rick observed as he pushed Evy's chair in before seating himself. "And you only begrudged Izzy ten percent?"

"A good businessman knows how to make his resources work!" Jon replied with a nod.

"When can we meet this businessman?" Rick asked.

Other patrons soon began filling the lounge. By the time the house lights dimmed, the lounge was packed. The rumble of conversation hushed as the lights went up on the stage, revealing the musicians that had seated themselves in the darkness. Applause thundered forth and then rose to a heavenly swell when a single spotlight went to stage left, following the woman that had to be Katrina de Lujun. She was of average height, her figure curvy and her hair the color of chestnuts. Her green eyes sparkled with the emeralds at her ears and throat and the white gown she wore shimmered in the spotlight. Whistles cut through the air as her fingers gripped the microphone stand and she dazzled the crowd with a smile. "Thank you," She purred as the crowd quieted down. "I'm Katrina de Lujun and I'd like to welcome you to the Diamond of Osiris!" She spotted Jonathan at the table as applause rolled forward once more. She gave the man a wink and turned her attention back to the audience. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Her jazzy selection of music was well-received by all. Alex and Jonathan took Kit out for turns on the dance floor and Rick and Evy found themselves taking a spin a time or two. By the time the singer and her band exited the stage and the house lights came up, it was well into the evening and all at the O'Connell table were pleased with the show. Jonathan excused himself to go find Katrina while Alex took his mother to the dance floor, determined to spin her as he did Kit a few songs before. Rick and his sister were leaning against the table, offering advice such as "Put more whip into the spin!" and "Use both hands!" when Jonathan rematerialized with Katrina on his arm.

"Evy, Rick, Alex, Kit – May I present Katrina de Lujun?"

The singer smiled. "It's wonderful to meet you – Jonathan was boasting about you all coming tonight!" She had taken off her gown and opted for a pair of black trousers and a white blouse. Her stage makeup was wiped off and her jewelry gone, but she still possessed the same charisma that she had exhibited on stage.

"Jonathan has spoken of little else since you came to town. Your voice is lovely." Evelyn complimented.

"Thank you. Jonathan told me you're an Egyptologist with the British Museum?" Katrina asked.

"Well, yes, but –" Jonathan began.

"I've always been fascinated with Egypt – Pharaohs and sphinxes and the like." Katrina smiled widely. "I wish I could have gone to a university to study history, but things are a bit hard in the States right now. Maybe after my singing career has played out I could do such a thing, if I put aside enough money."

"Your career, play out?" Jonathan echoed. "Never!"

Katrina crouched to be more on level with Alex. "And what did you think, cutie?"

"It was a blast! Mum and Dad have never let me go to anything with a live band. All my mates at school will be jealous."

Katrina nodded. "I bet they will, especially when you tell them about taking lovely ladies for a spin on the dance floor!" She kissed a blushing Alex on the nose and straightened up, turning to Kit. "Talk about a lady-killer, you better keep your eye on him."

Kit laughed. "I will."

Katrina's smile stayed and she clapped her hands together. "Thank you so much for coming. It was lovely to meet you all, but I must go. My band wants to hit the town to celebrate our first performance overseas. But hopefully I'll see more of you all in the coming month?"

"Maybe you could come have dinner at our house one night?" Rick suggested. "Or Evy could give you a little more insight on Egypt at the museum –"

"A little being a bit overboard, if I have anything to do with it." Evelyn laughed.

Katrina's face lit up with delight. "I would adore that! Either of those, actually!"

Jonathan smiled and turned to Katrina. "Trina, I'll escort you to the stage door – And I'll be 'round for breakfast tomorrow, everyone."

Goodbyes were said and soon the O'Connells were back in their car and homeward bound. Alex could not stop chattering about the evening on the ride.

"Oh, that was super cool Mum and Dad! Thank you so much! All my mates are going to be so jealous – their parents don't let them into casinos!"

"Their uncles don't own them, Alex." Rick reminded his son. Alex disregarded that.

"And Miss de Lujun was really nice! Do you reckon she'd maybe like to come to my school? Even if she didn't it'd be nice to have her for dinner! And Auntie Kit, did you see those stares everyone gave us? Bet they were so jealous!"

Kit laughed but Evelyn knew that Alex was working himself into a frenzy that would not be calmed in time for him to get to bed when they arrived home unless she stoppered his enthusiasm for now. "Alex, did you do your Latin homework this afternoon?"

Her plan worked and Alex groaned. "Of course I did, Mum –"

"Then I want you to count to one hundred. Slowly, so I can hear each number."

Alex groaned once more, but obliged his mother. "_Unus__, duo, tres_…" Alex trucked along well until he hit the teens. He stumbled over sixteen and found himself stuck on seventeen.

"Were you lying to me about finishing your homework?" Evy demanded, looking over the seat into the back.

"Naw, Mum, I swear I wasn't. I just can't remember!" Alex insisted.

"_Septendecim_, Alex." Kit said softly.

"Yeah, _septendecim_!" Alex agreed. Rick looked into the mirror at his sister.

"You know Latin?" Rick queried. Evy's lips had parted in her own astonishment.

"Learned it at the school for girls." Kit said. "Might be rusty, but most of it stuck."

"Maybe you could help Alex," Evy suggested, "If you're so inclined…"

"Any other languages pattering around in there?" Rick queried.

"Arabic and a smattering of German." Kit replied. "I could also fake Afrikaans good enough to get around." She laughed.

Evy turned to look at her sister-in-law. "That's wonderful! Kit, would you be interested in maybe a side job? We always need gifted linguists at the museum and anyone with skill in Latin would be absolutely treasured. We just got a haul of Imperial Roman artifacts in and our linguists are being taxed enormously by them."

"I don't see why not." Kit replied, smiling.

"Brilliant. We'll see what we can scrape up for you." Evy turned back around and after a beat said, "So, _septendecim_? This doesn't get you out of your recitation, Alex." Her son groaned and continued with his counting all the way home.


	3. The Necklace of Isis

It wasn't difficult at all for Kit to join the linguists at the British Museum in transcribing Latin texts from the new Imperial Roman acquisitions, especially when the curator of the Egyptian studies recommended her. The only flaw in Kit's education was that she had never learned how to use a typewriter and transcribed everything by hand. That was easily taken care of by department secretaries who were more than willing to type up Kit's notes. The days began acquiring a common schedule: Rick would drop off Alex at school and then take Evelyn and Kit to the British Museum. They would often take the midday meal with Alex at his school before returning to the museum for the afternoon, and then Rick would pick them up after he picked up Alex and the family would return home. Their routine became familiar and cozy and was sometimes punctuated with visits by Jonathan and sometimes Katrina, whose enthusiasm for Egyptian antiquity could match Evelyn's at times.

"Alex!" A blessed Saturday had come and after breakfast Alex was found at his desk in his room, chin sat in his hand as he worked on his Latin homework. He turned his head to see his aunt in the doorway of his room, grinning broadly. "I got paid yesterday. What say you and I head into town and catch a play?"

"Oh yeah, let's!" Alex exclaimed, dropping his pencil. He rose and then paused. "But –" He looked to his despised Latin homework and then back to his aunt. "Mum won't be pleased if I don't finish my homework."

"Bring it with us!" Kit encouraged. "We're taking the motorbus for most of the way, and I'll help you."

Rick took them to the nearest motorbus station and the two were soon rumbling along towards downtown London. With Kit's help, Alex's homework was finished by the time they stepped off the motorbus in the West End. "What shall we see then?" Kit asked her nephew, looking at the various marquees as they passed by streets with lines of theatres. "_Love on the Dole_? _Merrily We Roll Along_?"

"How about _The Farmer Takes a Wife_?" Alex suggested. "It looks funny."

The tickets were bought for the matinee and the two filed into the theatre. The comedy set the audience into frequent peals of laughter and as curtain call began, Kit turned to Alex. "I need to go to the powder room, Alex. Wait outside for me – don't leave sight of the theatre. Here," She handed him a couple of pounds. "See if you can find yourself a treat or two. I'll be out in a jiffy."

Alex had an allowance, but was never given entire pounds by his parents for spending money, especially not for something like food from vendor's carts! After the applause had died away and the curtain went down, Alex marched outside with the other patrons and began looking for places to spend his money. He bought himself a hot meat pie and a bag of popped corn and a large bag of toffees from the street peddlers lining the street outside the theatre.

Minutes had passed and the hot pie was finished just as the other theatres opened their doors, letting a deluge of patrons flood the street. Alex had found himself a bench to sit on and as he saw all the people swamping the street, the sudden fear that he wouldn't be able to spy his aunt overwhelmed him. "Auntie Kit?" Alex called into the crowd. There was no sign of recognition or reply. Alex couldn't see over all the people to find his aunt, so instead he placed his bag of popcorn and toffee on the bench and stood. Above the crowd onto the other side of the street, he finally spotted his aunt talking to someone swathed in red. "Auntie Kit!" Alex called, but he was afraid he couldn't be heard over the theatre patrons. He lost sight of his aunt once more as yet another theatre released their patrons into the street.

"Alex!" Kit suddenly emerged from the crowd, her arms enveloping her nephew. "Goodness, if I knew how many shows released at once, I would have never left you alone." She told her nephew. They waited on the bench as the crowd finally died down.

"I saw you over there – Who was the person in red?" Alex queried.

"Some gypsy offering to read my fortune." Kit replied. "I didn't know gypsies came into London. He proved slightly difficult to rebuff." The theatre patrons finally diminished to a trickle and Kit pointed her feet towards the motorbus stop. "Let's head back home – maybe pick your mum up some flowers on the way, eh?" And with that, the pair set off down the street to begin their journey back to the O'Connell mansion.

"I did not sleep a wink last night." Evy yawned as she and Kit entered the British Museum Monday morning.

"Why's that?" Kit asked, her finger tracing down the page of acquisitions she was responsible for translating that week.

"Nightmares – You know, ghosts from yesterday." Evy replied. She and Rick and Alex hadn't breathed a word to her about Imhotep, Hamunaptra, or Ahm Shere and they planned not to. One didn't really understand unless they went through it themselves. Best case scenario would entail the person just thought the O'Connells were nuts. Sometimes Evy had nightmares of Imhotep completing the ritual on her, turning her body into nothing but a shell for Anck-su-namun to use as her own. Other times it was of the day she died, feeling completely helpless as Rick begged her not to go…

"I've had my shares of those." Kit replied. She gave Evy's arm a little squeeze and looked at her list. "I should get going to the transcription office. See you at noon?"

"Of course." And with that, Evy went to the corridor to the left and Kit continued on. Evy's office had once belonged to Hafez, but when he "disappeared," Evy had been given his position as curator of Egyptian artifacts and antiquities as well as his office. It was a bit big and had been kept completely shuttered by its previous occupant, but Evy made sure plenty of sunlight and pictures of her family brightened the place up. Her desk was kept tidy for the amount of papers and reports on it. With a sigh, she pulled out her typewriter and fed a new piece of paper into the machine. The report on the scroll just had to be typed and the artifact was already in the museum's possession, but as Evy sat with her fingers perched on the keys she could not find motivation to write. The curator stifled a yawn and pulled out her notes and a correction pen. Within moments of glancing over her notes, her eyes grew heavy as her chin rested on her hand. Slowly but surely, Evy's eyes closed.

She called out in Egyptian. "Amunet! Amunet, where are you?" The courtyard was rimmed by columns painted blue-green. The Egyptian sun lit the place with golden light and caused the lotus pool in the center to sparkle and dance, reflecting shimmering light on the hieroglyphed walls. "Amunet..." Evy called once more. "Hmm… She must not be here anymore… I wish I knew where she was!" A glance at her reflection in the lotus pool revealed that she was a teenage girl, her hair dark and hung with gold and beads. "I guess I should go find her elsewhere…" With that, Evy whipped around one of the columns, her arms picking up the younger dark haired girl hiding there. "Got you!" Her fingers tickled the girl's ribs and laughter echoed around the courtyard.

"Almost got you though, didn't I 'tiri?" Amunet asked, laughing.

"Yes you did!" Evy set Amunet down. "Now you count."

Amunet turned back to the column, hiding her face against it. "One, two, three –"

"Evelyn!" Her office door opened and Evy jerked out of her dream, her hand slipping off her hand for a moment. Kit entered, a scroll in her white-gloved hands. She stopped as Evy stifled a yawn. "Oh, I apologize were – were you sleeping?"

"For a moment." Evy replied with a smile. "I'll get some tea and wake right up, don't worry." Her brown eyes looked to the scroll. "What's that?"

"Well," Kit began, taking a seat on the other side of Evelyn's desk. "I was just working on this scroll from the Imperial Roman collection, and what I've translated is astonishing!" Gently, she unrolled the scroll, showing Evy the Latin words. "This book details a necklace, the necklace of Minerva that would give the wearer immortality, as long as they wore it, and the ability to control anything from 'the smallest grain of sand to the largest ocean.' It's a mythos and artifact I've never heard of, and –"

"Apologies for interrupting, dear, but shouldn't you be bringing this to your supervisor's attention?" Evy asked. Her stomach bubbled with excitement, but Ancient Rome wasn't her forte.

"That's the thing, Evy, it is_ Egyptian_." Kit's mouth broke into a smile. "It was plundered by Octavian after Cleopatra and Marc Antony's death. Octavian changed it to reflect the Roman pantheon." She unraveled more of the scroll, her gloved hands pointing to cartouches copied next to the Latin text. "It was originally known as the Belt of Isis, a gift from Osiris to his bride after Horus was conceived. Her divinity was instilled in it, affecting any mortals who wore the belt."

Evelyn rose from her desk, crossing to get a better look at the scroll. "And – are those directions to a temple?"

Kit nodded. "Apparently Nero gave it to one of his mistresses. Remember the great fire during his reign?" Kit asked with a laugh. "The belt was the cause. He sent it back to Egypt and threw his woman to the lions."

"I know that area." Evy replied. "I've dug near there before – No one's ever found anything like this there! No temple, at least. Which means... It could be untouched!" Evy exclaimed. "This could be the next Tutankhamen's Tomb! We have to go after this!"

"I couldn't possibly agree more." Kit replied, smiling.

"No! Wait; let me rephrase that, _hell_ no." Rick replied to Evy's dig plans that evening after dinner. He paced around their bed, running his hands through his hair. "Do you happen to remember what happened the last time that we went searching for a piece of jewelry associated with a god?!"

"You know very well that I do. I don't appreciate your condescension, dear." Evy replied, her lips pursing. "I am not going to let one bad experience sour the rest of my career –"

"And it's not even that! Rick continued. "We don't have the best track record with Egypt, honey –"

"And yet it's where we met, it's where we fell in love! Our fortune was built there; we have a life there as much as we do here –"

"And involving Kit in this? Honey, I do not have a good feeling about it at all! I don't want to lose… _anyone…_ again." The couple fell silent and Rick took a seat at the end of their bed, holding his head in his hands. "If something were to happen, I just – I couldn't. I couldn't."

Evy climbed onto the bed behind him, draping her arms around him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I can't imagine what it was like in Ahm Shere before… Before Alex brought me back." She said softly. "Dear, I wish I could have saved you from those terrible hours." She gently turned his head to look at her. "But fear is not going to govern my life. Think on it. I won't make you do anything you don't want to, sweetheart." She kissed him. "I'm going to go. Kit can come if she'd like – I'm your wife and she's your sister, but we're both grown women and can make our own decisions, with or without your support." She gave Rick one more kiss before slipping off the bed. "I'm going to go see how Kit and Alex are doing with the dishes."

In the kitchen, Alex and Kit had finished washing by the time Evy entered the kitchen. "Good job, you lot."

"Auntie Kit made me wash." Alex moaned, holding up his pruned fingers for evidence. "I have old man hands."

"It's a wonder you don't age taking a bath." Kit teased. Alex reached into the sink still full of soapy water and splashed his aunt. She cried out in surprise.

"Alex, you'll make a mess." Evy chided. Alex gave his aunt another splash in insolence.

"You heard your mum!" Kit cried, lunging at Alex with a devious grin. They clashed for a moment but Kit hugged her nephew to herself and dipped her fingers into the soapy foam. "How about a bubble mustache?"

"Agh! No!" Alex struggled as she painted a thin line of bubbles on his upper lip. "Ahh! Geroff! Geroff Auntie Kit!" She plastered a mound of bubbles onto his lips. Alex spluttered. "Uncle!" He begged.

The front door closed. "As in Jonathan?" Evy's brother waltzed into the kitchen, setting his briefcase on the kitchen table. He eyed his bubble-faced nephew and looked to his sister. "What's going on here?"

"Uncle Jon! Help! Auntie has me hostage!"

"Now Kit –" Jonathan reproached, raising a finger in the air. With her spare hand, Kit plucked the washcloth from the water and flung it at the man. It landed with a wet smack on Jon's face and slowly slid off to the floor. "Well, Alex old boy, I was always taught never to hit a girl."

"Very gentleman-like of you." Kit said, choking back laughter as Alex's arms flailed at her and he blew his bubbles off his face.

Jonathan picked up the washcloth and approached the sink, returning the cloth to the water. "Yes, well… I just won't hit you." He snatched a drinking cup from the dish rack, dipped it into the soapy water, and poured it all over Kit's head. Jon cried, "_Sic semper tyrannis_!" Kit shrieked and released Alex, flying at Jonathan.

"You all –!" Evy cried as Alex took off from the kitchen, followed by a frantic Jonathan and finally Kit. Evelyn pulled the hand towel from the rack near the sink and attempted to clean up the puddled water to little avail. She heard mad laughter from upstairs and abandoned her endeavor just in time to leave the kitchen and witness Jonathan sliding down the banister of the stairs and landing in a huddle at the bottom. He lurched to his feet as Kit bounded down the staircase, pursued by Alex who had somehow secreted a bag of flour from the kitchen and was bombing his aunt and uncle with handfuls of the powder. Kit already looked frosted from her nephew's weapon due to her wet hair and face whereas Jonathan just looked dusty.

"Alex Rupert O'Connell –!"

"What the hell is going on?" Rick asked from the top of the stairs as Kit leaped onto Jonathan's back and disappeared through a doorway, followed by the bombarding Alex.

"It's your sister and your son!" Evy replied.

"No, no, no, _your_ son and your brother." Rick replied, descending the stairs. He wiped a bit of white powder from a nearby bookcase and tasted it. "It's not flour, it's confectioner's sugar." Evy let out a groan of surprise. "Want me to stop them?"

At that moment, Jon trotted back into the main room, Kit still on his back. Alex set his bag of sugar down before giving a running leap onto his aunt's back. Jonathan collapsed on the floor in a tangle of limbs and laughter rang through the front room. "I – I think my ribs are broken." Jonathan wheezed from the floor, laughing as he did so.

"Then why are you laughing?" Kit asked.

"Because it hurts so well!"

Rick cast his wife a look before putting his thumb and forefinger into his mouth and giving a whistle. "Clean up this mess. That is not how we act in this house – Not unless you let me start it." Evelyn gave her husband a chastising look and he just grinned.

The water was wiped up with the sugar and Kit headed for the bath and Alex his room once everything was tidied. Jonathan forgot the reason why he stopped by as well as his briefcase when he took his leave. As Evy turned out the lights downstairs, Rick joined her. "I don't see why we all can't go." Rick offered, touching the subject of the temple and the Belt of Isis. "I think we're more liable to get into trouble here than there. And we know not to put on weird pieces of jewelry or anything."

"We're experts at not getting into trouble by now." Evelyn replied, smiling.

Rick sighed. "I still don't like it, but you're right. Fear isn't going to rule the O'Connells."


	4. The Journey

Preparations were made, a leave of absence was arranged with Alex's school (and a mountain of homework was received, much to his chagrin), and a few weeks later the O'Connell clan was sailing down the Nile, bound for Cairo. Their diggers would be hired locally before they ventured off into the desert. The ruins were located a day and a half's camel ride from Cairo and while some people these days preferred automobiles, the O'Connells preferred to do things in an older mode of fashion. That being said, Rick of course brought his arsenal of assorted weapons and ammunition and wore a gun on each hip. "You act like we're going to the American West." Kit teased him one night at dinner. He shrugged it off – She didn't know and, hopefully, there would never be an occasion necessary for her _to_ know.

They disembarked one morning, loading up an automobile with the equipment carted from London and their personal effects. As Kit and Alex loaded the last suitcase, a familiar figure emerged from the crowds surrounding the dock. "Evy, Rick!" Jonathan, dressed to the nines in a white suit and wearing a matching fedora, was accompanied by Katrina, more practically clothed in canvas breeches, a linen shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Rick asked Evy through gritted teeth. They had told Jonathan they were going, of course, but he had voiced no interest in joining him.

"Shh." Evy chided as her brother greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Jonathan, what _are_ you doing here?" She asked, a hand sliding to her hip. "I thought you had no more interest in mummies."

"Yes, well –" Jonathan looked to Katrina, stumbling over his words a little. "I don't, not really, but I mentioned it to Katrina –"

"It's all my doing." The singer confessed. "I bowled him into it. I've always wanted to visit Egypt and my contract was up, so Jon offered to be a gentleman and escort me – Perhaps even show me around some dig sites."

"So… Surprise!" Jonathan swept his arms outward. "And if you need an extra hand or two on the dig, we can come and do some history like one big happy family!"

"Why not?" Rick asked, taking Jonathan's hand and squeezing. Jonathan's eyes bulged and Evy pulled Katrina to the side.

"Are you sure you're up to the taxing challenge of working in Egypt's sun?" He heard his wife ask the singer, but Rick's focus remained on his brother-in-law.

"You know how much trouble you're in?" Rick asked Jonathan through gritted teeth.

Jonathan winced as several bones in his fingers popped. "Yes, but I didn't know what to say." He laughed uncomfortably.

"No, maybe?" Rick asked.

"Yes, well you can say that with such ease, and I—"

"This isn't a field trip where you can just drop in, Jon." Rick snapped. Jonathan gave a hopeless shrug and Rick released his hand. "You know what? You are riding the finickiest camel we can get our hands on." Rick promised, turning towards the automobile.

"So we're even?" Jonathan asked hopefully.

Rick freed Jonathan's hand and slung his bag of weapons into Jonathan's arms. "Not even close."

"Oof." Jonathan stumbled a little and forced a smile. "Alex! Kit! No water or sugar to fight with down here, is there?" He asked as they began piling into the back of the open-air auto.

Evy turned to her husband from speaking to Katrina, her lips pursed slightly. "Are you alright with this?" She asked her husband.

"Am I ever alright with your brother interfering with our plans?" Rick grumbled.

"He _could_ be of help. And Katrina – Well, she has so much enthusiasm." Evy shrugged. "What's another two?"

"I really hope we don't regret telling Jonathan about this." Rick sighed, opening the door for Evy.

"My diggers are the best diggers in the world –"

"I am the last remnant of the expedition to uncover Tutankhamen's Tomb. A good luck charm, wouldn't you say?"

"My diggers work twice as hard with half the water of these other diggers!"

The Cairo Marketplace hosted not only the fruits of the Nile floodplains and the crafts of Cairo's people but diggers looking for work. They called out for the attention of anyone who looked like they might be heading out to the desert. As Evy and Jonathan strode down the stalls, the diggers were practically foaming at the mouth.

"Perhaps we should have sent you to get the camels after all." Evy suggested to Jonathan. Rick's assertive nature would be better suited for this kind of thing.

"Not unless you want to bring the herd home to England." Jonathan replied, referring to the fact that he had paid for at least twice the amount of camels needed when venturing off to Hamunaptra. Rick had gone to purchase the beasts while Katrina, Kit, and Alex were perusing the wares of the marketplace.

"We are worth every pound!"

"We are double the price but triple the amount of sand that is dug!"

The brother and sister came to rest at the end of the column of diggers hawking their wares. Silent among his neighbors, a bald man sat underneath a canopy, arms crossed. The sun tanned the man's face for many years and his beard was made of white and gray bristles.

"You're not going to try and sell us your wares?" Jonathan asked the man.

The man shrugged. "I don't see why." He replied. "If you want my services, you'll buy them. No amount of boasting will move the sand for me."

"I like him." Jonathan informed Evy.

The woman smiled and turned to the man. "Do you take exception to taking direction from a woman?"

"No."

"How many diggers work with you?"

"Fifteen including myself." The man replied. "If you should hire us, we will be ready to depart within an hour. Our rates are on the board there." Written clearly in Arabic, French, and English were the rates for he and his men, but the man didn't seem too concerned with whether or not he was particularly hired.

Evy glanced over the board and her eyes returned to the digger. "You're hired, Mr…?"

"Aamir Sakr, madame. You may call me Aamir, if you wish."

"Aamir, then. My name is Evelyn, and this is my brother Jonathan. We have more members of our party, but I suppose you'll meet them when we set out."

"Just so, Evelyn." Aamir stood, flipping his board over to signify that he had been hired. "Let us shake on it."

Evelyn and Aamir shook hands, and with the deal done, Aamir left to gather his workers and the brother and sister departed to find the rest of their party.

"I do not know why camels receive such a negative reputation." Katrina commented astride her camel as the greenery of Cairo and the Nile shrank behind the group. The merciless sun beat down on everyone's heads, but if one ignored the ball of fire and focused on the ride, things weren't wholly unpleasant.

"You haven't had one kiss you yet." Jonathan rebutted.

"Even a mangy camel will carry more than a herd of asses." Aamir defended the beasts atop his own.

Jonathan looked to the chief digger. "Is that a quip about me?"

"I only stated a well-known proverb. Apply it as you will." Aamir replied with a nod. Alex sniggered from atop his camel.

"I know where you live, Alex." Jonathan grumbled.

"And I know where you're sleeping Uncle Jon: My tent."

They pitched camp at the foot of a formation of bluffs jutting up from the desert. The camels were all picketed at the mouth of the camp and the tents erected in a U-shape. As the cooking fire was stoked up, Rick and Aamir selected seven of the diggers and pulled them aside. "I want four of you on watch around the perimeter of the camp until we break in the morning." Rick began, Aamir translating for those who didn't speak English. The adventurer wasn't taking any chances. "The first shift stands until after midnight and the rest until before dawn. We'll want to be packed and moving before sunrise, so the shifts should still get you enough sleep."

Aamir finished translating and turned back to Rick. "I understand the importance of security measures, but I am wondering whether Evelyn did not tell me about any risks associated with this dig."

Rick shook his head at the man. "We've just been surprised before." He glanced at where his wife was watering the camels. "I just want to make sure that we keep a lookout for robbers or… Anything. Anything that isn't us."

"Goodness," Katrina laughed from where she was unloading the cookware. "A bit wary aren't you? Frightened a mummy will come get us?" Evy, Alex, Rick, and Jonathan shot Katrina hard looks, surprising the singer. "Only joking… Apologies."

Kit arched an eyebrow at her family. "Let me help you with that, Katrina." She offered, joining her at the packs. She helped unload the cast iron pans and mess kits as the rest set about pulling out bedrolls and discussing what to make for the night.

"I forget the proper name of what we're looking for again." Katrina confessed to Kit as they began stacking the mess kits around the fire pit. "The Necklace of Isis?"

"Belt of Isis." Kit replied. "It was called a necklace by the Romans, so I guess either works."

"Sounds ominous." Katrina commented, "Like something from the back of a dime novel: _The Necklace of Isis, you better remember it, for all those going after it have met dismemberment_—"

"Don't say such things!" Kit snapped. Katrina looked at her in surprise. "I'm sorry, it's just – Rather rude to say such a thing when _we're_ going after it, isn't it?"

Katrina blushed. "I'm sorry, sometimes I don't think before speaking." She paused for a moment. "The entertainment business does that to you."

"Just… Don't say it again?"

"Of course."

Dinner was cooked and most of the camp turned in for the night. Rick was restless in his bedroll. Despite Evy's sleepy assurances that everything was fine, he couldn't get a wink of sleep. When the watch changed after midnight he finally stopped fighting his body's refusal to sleep. After dressing and shrugging on his double holster, he went outside. He kicked open one of the supply boxes and pulled out two hand-held flares that would be useful on the moonless night for signaling the digger sentries, should anything happen. The coals of the fire had been banked until morning, and Aamir waved at him from his sentry post as Rick stalked off beyond the camels, his bolt-action rifle in hand. The hours passed slowly with nothing but the wind whistling every now and then. The stars began to fade and the diggers on watch began to file back to their tents to get things ready to move out.

As the camp began to wake up, Rick heard the treble of voices from a narrow gorge that the wind had cut into the bluffs. He looked back to the camp, counting Aamir and the diggers that were beginning to take down tents. There were only four. If anyone else had left the camp, they would have had to slip past the camels and Rick to make it into the gorge. Shouldering his rifle as a precaution, Rick slowly approached the gorge's mouth, spying a set of tracks in the sand just as the wind wiped them clean. The treble of voices continued, but as to what they were saying, Rick couldn't understand a word. The gorge was pitch-black, but that didn't bother whomever was talking. Rick paused as the words bounced off the gorge walls, almost deafening in their volume. Letting his rifle hang from his shoulder for a moment, Rick grabbed one of the flares he brought. As quickly as it could be done without burning him, Rick lit the flare, threw it deep into the gorge, and jerked his rifle to his shoulder. The flare burned red, illuminating… nothing.

The rock face of a dead end stared back at Rick. The sand swirled as the wind whistled against the rock, face showing no tracks or evidence that anyone had been there. The adventurer continued to hug his gun to his shoulder, circling around to make sure he wasn't about to be ambushed from behind. The flare began to wane, and Rick lit the other one to make sure he didn't miss anything. The rock of the gorge was too smooth to be climbed up easily. Rick knew if he told Evy about this incident, she'd say it was just the wind. But the wind would have only whistled. And what about the tracks leading into the gorge?

Troubled, Rick lowered his rifle and headed back towards the camp. As he approached the picketed camels the whinny of horses raced across the sands from the east. Turning, the man spied four figures on horseback emerging from the night as they thundered toward the half-circle of tents. The camels lowed in concern and worried their pickets. Rick shouldered his rifle, but as the horsemen drew near, he recognized their leader.

"Ardeth?" Rick kept his rifle trained on the men, but called hoping they heard him over their mounts. "Is that you?"

The leader held up his hand, halting himself and the other riders about twenty feet away from O'Connell. Pulling black fabric from the lower half of his face, the man did indeed reveal himself to be Ardeth Bay. "O'Connell. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. Theoretically." Rick replied, replacing his rifle into the holster across his back.

"The Medjai are forever keeping watch." Ardeth turned to the others, speaking in Arabic. His three companions turned their horses and cantered away as Ardeth dismounted, leading his horse with him. He offered his hand to Rick. "It is good to see you my friend. But the question still stands: What are you doing here?"

Rick watched the riders fade off into the night and he sighed. "What else would we be doing back in Egypt? Evy's trying to find something."

The pair walked back to the camp where half of the tents had already been put away. Evy had already woken and was dressed in her usual dig fare of tan trousers, high boots, and a white linen shirt. She was stoking the cooking fire back to life as she spied her husband and friend. Abandoning the fire, Evy crossed to them as Ardeth tied his horse's reins to the mess tent's support poles. "Ardeth! Lovely to see you!"

"And you," Ardeth replied with a nod. "Rick tells me you're looking for something? What did you find?"

"Well, his sister is actually the one who found it –" Evy began.

Ardeth raised a dark eyebrow and looked to Evy's husband. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"I've been getting that a lot." Rick replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Here, join us for breakfast and we'll tell you all about it.

Evy, Rick, and Ardeth had just settled in around the fire when Katrina exited her tent, holding one of her shoes out in front of her. "Oh, good morning all!" She greeted, despite the fact the sun had yet to rise. She didn't know who Ardeth was, but nevertheless gave him a nod. "Found a scorpion in my shoe. I should start wearing them to bed like Kit to avoid any more bug problems!"

"Actually, it's an arachnid." Alex informed the brunette as he exited the tent he shared with his uncle. Upon seeing the Medjai, however, his face broke into a smile and he scampered over to the man. "Ardeth! What are you doing here?"

Smiling a little, the man eyed Rick. "I have been getting that question a lot." He turned back to Alex and said, "Medjai business. Have you been practicing your fighting?"

"Fighting is not something an eight year-old should do." Evelyn broke in, her brows furrowing sternly.

Ardeth's own brows mimicked Evelyn as he looked to Alex. "I thought you said you were eight _last_ year?"

"He tends to round up." Rick informed the Medjai.

Alex rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Ardeth. When his parents were preoccupied with the kettle he leaned close to the Medjai, whispering, "Mum doesn't approve, but when I get the time I use one of the large branches in our back garden as a sword. I might be getting better, but trees don't fight back." Ardeth laughed and nodded at the boy.

"Now, what is it you're here for?" Ardeth asked, turning his attention back to Evy as Katrina, both shoes fixed firmly on her feet, returned to the circle around the fire and sat.

"Kit, Rick's sister, translated a scroll in Latin detailing a place called – Oh, what is its proper name?" Evy asked, the phrase escaping her.

"The Romans called it the Temple of Minerva." Kit said, emerging from the tent she shared with Katrina. Unlike the other women of the expedition, Kit had a fondness for gowns and wore one in the Bedouin fashion for the dig, complete with matching mantle to protect her from the sun.

Ardeth stood. "Rick's sister, I take it?" She nodded. "I am Ardeth Bey."

"He's a friend." Rick added.

"Kit. A pleasure." Kit took a seat next to the fire, rubbing the back of her neck. Ardeth sat once she had. "I don't know if it had a proper Egyptian name – We're not quite sure whether it's of Roman architecture or Egyptian." Kit looked to Evy. "The scroll didn't say, did it?"

"No." Evy agreed. "We should get there today."

"I'm unfamiliar with any temples in this area." Ardeth informed the others, eyebrow arching. "Are you sure your sources are correct?"

Evy shrugged and Kit stoked the fire as the kettle was put on. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

"Would you mind if I accompanied you?" Ardeth asked. "I – Medjai like to keep an eye on things. And if there are ruins we've missed –"

"That's a great idea." Rick said, looking to his wife. "Make sure we don't do anything stupid like before, hmm?"

"What are you talking about?" Kit asked.

"Oh." Rick forgot for the moment that both Kit and Katrina knew nothing of Hamunaptra, Ahm Shere, the Bracelet of Anubis – Any of it. "We've had some troubles on digs before – Booby traps, stuff like that. Ardeth's an expert."

The Medjai arched a brow. He looked warily to both Katrina and Kit and simply nodded. "Yes. Expert."

Aamir trudged over, carrying a folded and tied tent on his back complete with folded poles. "An expert?" He eyed the man swathed in black and looked to Evy. "You're very lucky to have mediocre me." And with that, he continued on to the camels to unload his quarry.

"And what's Medjai?" Kit queried.

"Is it your company or something like that?" Katrina followed.

"They're my people – Er, we live in this place. We like to keep an eye on sacred burial grounds."

"Make sure that there's no disrespect or defacing, I take it?" Katrina replied.

Ardeth was uncomfortable not telling the whole truth. It was uncommon to him as England and two-story busses had once been. "Something like that." He replied.

After breakfast was eaten, the others worked on packing up the rest of camp and Ardeth approached Rick. "Those two women – Your sister and the other – They don't know about the Creature?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't think before I spoke." Rick turned to watch as Jon gave Katrina a boost onto the back of a camel to secure her pack. The camel started ambling off with Katrina splayed across backwards, laughing as Jon ran after to grab the camel's lead.

"This… makes me very uncomfortable." Ardeth confided in Rick. "The Medjai have patrolled these lands for over three thousand years – At places where cities once stood and only sands remain, _we know_. There cannot be a temple that we have overlooked."

Rick chewed his lip. "I haven't been feeling easy about it either." He admitted. "This isn't our first rodeo – we should know what not to do if it comes to that."

"The Medjai knew what must not be done to awaken the Creature." Ardeth rebutted. "And yet we failed."

Rick rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… I'm a cantankerous son of a bitch, aren't I?"

"I am grateful that you agreed to have me come along." The Medjai looked to where his horse was tethered while Alex and Kit took down the canvas of the tent she was tied to. "I'll come with you and if I find anything suspicious, I'll have to let my brothers and know."

"Damn straight." Rick said, nodding. "If anything sketchy appears, I am ready to throw Evy onto a camel and head back to Cairo."

"I think your wife would have to be tied kicking and screaming for such a thing to be easy."

Rick looked to where Evy was mounting her camel. "Yeah," He sighed, "I know."

The morning sun was already beating down heavily upon the travelers by the time they approached a formation of cliffs to the southwest. Kit pulled her notes from her pack and kept pace next to Evelyn to confer upon them.

"We should be coming upon the temple at any time – Given that the ruins haven't been covered with sand." Evelyn announced, looking at the location she had plotted using the scroll and her own knowledge of the place.

"I would not look forward to digging it out." Kit replied.

"That's part of the fun!" Katrina called from a couple camels behind. "I always did fancy the sandbox as a child…" Evy laughed.

"If I may," Aamir called, spurring his camel forward to gait beside the two women, "I am somewhat of an expert in this area." He threw a dirty look at Ardeth and continued. "We approach the cliffs and since there is no other rock formation apart from it, sand should not necessarily be sloping anywhere else, yes?"

"I suppose so." Evy replied, following his reasoning.

"Now," Aamir pulled his camel to a stop and the others followed suit. "Survey your surroundings."

Evy's hazel eyes squinted against the sun as she surveyed where they came from and where they were heading. The sand was more or less level – there were some rises here and there, but nothing significant. Her eyes slowly cased over the cliffs to her left and then across from the base – "There!"

The sand humped up significantly several hundred feet from the edge of the cliffs. As the afternoon progressed, the hump would be shielded from the sun by the shadows of the cliffs, making an opportune site not only for a structure, but a dig site. Aamir smiled at Evelyn and nodded. "I would suggest we start there and see if we find anything."


	5. Dusting Off the Past

"Go ahead and picket the camels for now. Let's just see if it's worth making camp." Evy swung off the back of her camel, Aamir following suit with two of his men. The looming mound of sand slowly sloped up into the side of the cliffs. Whether there was anything to be found underneath remained to be seen as the camels lowed, bobbing their heads up and down. Ardeth's golden eyes gazed over the cliffs and sand, his lips drawn into a tight line.

Rick's camel ambled over to Ardeth's horse. "Nothing is _supposed_ to be here, right?" Rick asked, looking down from his higher seat.

Ardeth nodded. "I continue going over the history of sacred and historical sites in my head, but I can never recall mention of anything here." The men watched as Evy, Aamir, and the diggers began scaling the hump of sand, watching their feet create shifting holes as they climbed. "There should not be anything here."

Once Evy and the diggers had pulled themselves to the top of the sand mound, Evy walked to the precipice of grit facing the camels. Slowly, she nudged at the sand's edge with her boot, causing it to collapse towards her and cascade down the side. She continued to do so until the collapsing sand revealed a stone slab. "Brush, Aamir!" The chief digger pulled a large fine-bristled brush from the pack he carried, handing it to Evy. She knelt down, sweeping sand from the stone frantically as Aamir fell to beside her, pushing the sand off with his hands. Grains of dust were brushed away to reveal sandstone with the effigies of owls carved into it. Evy grinned to herself and looked to those still astride camels. "Make camp. I think this is it!"

"So much for nothing being here." Rick commented to Ardeth, dismounting.

"I don't understand." Aamir told Evy, peering at the carvings in the stone. "Owls?"

"The Roman goddess Minerva had an owl. It was a symbol tied to her wisdom." Evy replied. "The artifact we're looking for was rebranded as Roman but it's truly Egyptian." Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she tenderly brushed off any remaining grains of sand. "I'll stay up here, see if I can uncover the edges of whatever this is. Go ahead and start unpacking without me."

The tents were pitched with relative ease and the equipment for the dig was unloaded and some of it assembled. Evy and her brush did not make much progress until the diggers scaled the mound of sand with push brooms. Ardeth advised Kit and Katrina to wear lengths of cloth around their mouths to avoid inhaling the dust as they set to the task of carting buckets full of brushed sand to the shaker.

"Why do I have to rock the shaker?" Alex asked as Katrina dumped the first bucket of sand into the screen of his contraption. The shaker was simply a wire screen cased in wood with a stand that could be folded against the frame for easy storage. Shaking filtered the grains of sand through the screen and held any larger objects for inspection.

"Come on, Alex, this is some of the fun stuff!" Jonathan informed his nephew. "Shaker's find the most miniscule and important pieces of artifacts out there! It's much more brilliant that brushing all that dirt off, in'it?"

"Then why aren't you doing it?" Alex demanded.

"Because I –" Jonathan caught himself. "I'm supervising."

Rick pulled another shaker from the bundle of the devices and tossed it into Jonathan's arms. "Have fun."

The site was cooled in the afternoon by the lengthening shadows the cliffs cast as the sun sank. Slowly, the entrance of a decidedly Roman temple began to emerge from the sand hump. Katrina and Kit were the first to uncover the sandstone steps leading from the desert floor thanks to their zealous sand removal while those above continued to brush off what would prove to be the peaked roof. Columns as big around as most people were wide were perfectly aligned at the top of the stairs, supporting the overhanging roof in front of a sealed entrance. Evy descended from the roof when Jonathan called up to her, sliding down the sand mound in a spray of grit. She loped far enough away from the site to turn and take it all in. She grinned. "It's not Egyptian, but I'll take it!" The woman laughed placing both hands behind her head.

They stopped for the night shortly after, though Evy was already laying plans for the following day. "I'd like to continue doing what we can to remove sand from the roof, and the walls as well. It's held itself up spectacularly under the weight of the sand, but I'd rather not risk any collapses because we're too lazy to uncover the rest of it –"

"That can be done, Evelyn, but I have a query: What shall we do for water?" Aamir asked. "The last well we passed was before we broke camp last night. Do you know of anywhere else we can get water? If not, we shall have to sacrifice two diggers a day to water duty to keep us all refreshed."

Evy bit her lip. In her excitement, she had all but forgotten the most important resource of all when it came to digging in the desert. "Let me find my maps –"

"There's no need." Ardeth said, standing. "There's a well several miles from here. I can show someone before the sun goes down, if you wish."

"Is there? Thank you Ardeth; that would be lovely."

"I don't mind fetching water!" Jonathan announced, abandoning his shaker. Alex glowered at his uncle before looking at the buckets he still had left to shake for the night. "Lead the way, Ardeth."

"I'll go too." Rick decided. "I'll take some of the thinner support poles with us, plant them in the sand within sight of each other so they can be followed, granted that the wind doesn't do anything to 'em."

Evelyn smiled at her husband and gave him a kiss before he, her brother, and her friend headed for the camels. "Kit, do you have the papers? Let's see what they say about the layout…"

Rick took a bundle of the thinnest support rods, each about a two inches thick and around four feet long. As he, Ardeth, and Jonathan rode north, Rick would tie a long scrap of red material from an old red bandana at the top of one of the poles before spearing it into the sand. Slowly, a trail of markers sprang up within sight of each other.

"You know," Jonathan began, "I kind of missed this. Merciless desert sun, grit in my teeth, shaking until my hands chafe –"

"Is there a reason for this passive-aggressive complaining?" Rick asked, stopping in his stripping of the bandana to look at his brother-in-law.

"No, really!" Jonathan insisted. "This is man's work – None of that boozing and schmoozing that I have to do at the casino." Jonathan raised his face towards the sun, feigning a noble expression. "I can practically feel my chest hair growing."

Rick was conflicted whether to javelin one of the poles to smack that smirk off of Jonathan's face or whether he could ride close enough to shove Jonathan from his camel and still have a living brother-in-law to bring back to his wife. Instead, he looked to Ardeth who had spoken little since they departed. "You've been awfully quiet. Taking a vow of silence or something?"

"That temple should not be there." Ardeth stated, grudgingly.

"So your pride is all hurt then, eh?" Jonathan asked.

"No, it's not that." Ardeth replied. "I am absolutely puzzled. The Medjai have roamed these sands for thousands of years –"

"Even Medjai are people. People are fallible." Jonathan replied.

"I do not think it wise to say that to a man who has helped save your life." Ardeth replied cooly.

"Well, this ride is getting awkward." Rick observed, spearing another support into the sand.

When they arrived at the well, they discovered it to have a small sandstone wall around its mouth with a slab covering it. The well was located next to a small mud brick hut with a rickety wooden door. Upon investigation, it was found to be empty save for a couple earthenware jars and a bedroll. "This well used to be guarded." Ardeth commented. "The fact that it is no longer makes me wary." Water was drawn for the night and the men returned to camp by early evening. Tents dotted the ground in front of the steps leading to the temple and one sole campfire (for cooking) burned. The camels had been, by large, picketed away from the temple in a makeshift corral of supports and rope. As Rick, Ardeth, and Jonathan poured the water skins into the covered troughs and barrels underneath a canopy, Kit crossed to help them. "You know," She commented as she helped Ardeth lift the board to cover one of the troughs, "I wouldn't mind making water runs tomorrow until we have everything full up. It'll cut down on the amount of time we spend getting water in the long run, and I'm just a translator."

"If Evy can spare you… And you take one of my pistols." Rick replied, nodding.

Kit smiled at her brother. "Look at you, big brother, making up for lost opportunities and being all protective."

Rick shrugged. "I could insist on coming with you, or say, 'No, that's manly work.'"

"The kind a person with chest hair needs to do." Jonathan offered.

"Can we please stop talking about your chest hair?" Rick snapped. Jonathan smiled sheepishly.

"…What did I miss?" Katrina asked as she approached one of the filled troughs with her canteen.

"Yeah, Jon, tell her what she missed."

"Evelyn, is there anything I can help you with?" Ardeth called to the fire, hanging his empty water skin up to dry and hastily departing the scene.

"Let me help you helping." Kit followed in his tracks. Katrina arched a well-shaped eyebrow at Jonathan.

"Yes, well… _Ahem_…" Jonathan "Just… manly stuff. That's all."

"Uh-huh." Katrina replied rather doubtfully, disregarding Jonathan further as she filled her canteen.

"Why aren't you married?" Rick asked his brother-in-law.

"An over-abundance of chest hair, no doubt."

The evening progressed uneventfully. Rick, Aamir, and Evy took charge of cooking for the night while Alex broke out a deck of cards and coaxed his uncle and Katrina into playing a few hands. Kit slunk off to make water on the far side of the temple and as she rounded a crest of sand she approached Ardeth with his back to her and feet planted firmly apart in the sand. He clutched a crude spear made by tying his knife to one of the Rick's extra markers.

"What are you –?" Kit began.

She must have startled the man, but he didn't flinch. "Don't move." He replied. "Be very still."

The wind whistled, stirring up some of the sand. Kit did as Ardeth said, standing perfectly still until Ardeth raised the spear and thrust it into the sand a few feet away. When he pulled the spear up, a sizable scorpion was speared on the end of it.

Turning to Kit, the man showed his quarry. "I apologize. If I explained myself, the creature would have burrowed into the sand."

The scorpion still twitched on the spear as Kit looked to it. "What are you planning on doing with that?" She asked, dark eyebrows raised.

"Have you ever had Scorpion on a Stick?" Ardeth replied, smiling.

"I… I cannot say I have." The woman admitted.

The Medjai smiled. "Would you like to help me spear some more? I doubt one will feed the camp."

"You know, Evy and Rick brought canned food and stuff…" Kit informed the man.

He chuckled. "Yes. But do you ever crave something that cannot be refused?" Ardeth placed the spearheaded scorpion down by his boot. Gingerly, he placed his boot on the head and pincers and pried the scorpion free from the blade before cleanly cutting off the venomous stinger. The scorpion finished twitching by then and the Medjai pocketed the arachnid with indifference.

Kit laughed cautiously. "Alright. Teach me how to hunt scorpions."

"The best time is to do it as the sun is setting. It will cool off soon and the scorpions are emerging from their burrows. You must stand very still, with a strong stance like this." He reverted to his wide footed stance. Kit mimicked it. "Good. And then you wait."

The wind whistled across the sands once more as the pair stood in silence. After a moment, Ardeth whispered, "There." He pointed to a movement in the sand so slight that Kit would have not noticed otherwise. A sandy scorpion slowly pulled itself from the earth, its pincers opening and closing once it was free. Ardeth handed the spear to Kit. "Aim true. Put your whole body into it."

"Whole body…" Kit repeated, gripping the support with both hands. Her interpretation was far too literal for, instead of simply lunging, she toppled into the sand spear first. A mist of sand rose up followed by peals of laughter from Kit as she spat granules of sand from her mouth. Nevertheless, when she rose to her feet the scorpion was on the end of the blade.

"Well done!" Ardeth praised, mirroring Kit's smile (though his had less sand in it). "Now gently place the head under your boot – Don't put too much pressure on it. We don't want it crushed." Kit did as Ardeth had and she soon had a tailless dead scorpion to tuck into her gown. "Now spot your own."

As they continued hunting scorpions (Ardeth doing so with all the poise of an experienced veteran and Kit doing so with a great amount of laughter and spraying sand), they talked. "Is Kit short for anything?" Ardeth queried.

"Katharine. Some of my friends used to call me 'Kitty' too." With a grunt, the woman speared her latest scorpion. "I _hated_ it."

"I'm unfamiliar with English nicknames. They don't make much sense to me." Ardeth bantered, taking the spear from Kit after she removed the scorpion's tail.

"No one calls you anything besides your name?"

Ardeth smiled as though to himself. "My father called me '_Fareed_.' It means –"

"Precious." Kit answered. Ardeth's brows rose in surprise. "I know my way around a couple languages other than Latin and English." She explained.

Ardeth felt his grin grow wider. "He's the one who taught me how to hunt scorpions. It's a survival method. Most of my survivalist knowledge was passed down to me from my father, to him from my grandfather, and so on."

"Have you taught your son how to hunt scorpions yet?" Kit asked.

Ardeth spotted movement in the sand. Without hesitation, he speared the scorpion. "I have yet to have the fortune of starting a family. Someday."

"Someday." Kit echoed, nodding.

They returned to camp just as the sun was about to dip down behind the cliffs, their pockets brimming with dead scorpions.

"Full house!" Alex slapped down a tattered handful of cards onto the crate that served as a makeshift table for their card games.

"You've got to be joking!" Jonathan exclaimed, looking at the hand. "That's – that's the third one in a row!"

Katrina folded, laughing. "I am being cleaned out by an eight year-old."

"You?" John asked. "_I'll_ be lucky to have a camel to ride back to Cairo on."

"You've an awful poker face, Uncle Jon." Alex offered as defense, collecting several pound notes as he said so.

"We were starting to get worried." Evy announced to Kit and Ardeth as they strode toward the fire. "Is everything alright?"

"We would hate to lose our _expert_." Aamir grumbled from the fire as he adjusted the kettle.

"Ardeth was showing me how to catch dinner." Kit replied, pulling scorpion bodies from her pocket. Jonathan let out a guttural groan whereas Katrina and Alex abandoned their cards for a closer look.

"Ah, wicked!"

"Do they taste good?" Katrina asked Ardeth.

"Some might say it is an acquired taste, but I think so." The Medjai replied.

Rick's brow furrowed. "Scorpions?" He asked. "Really?"

"Come on Rick, where's your sense of adventure?" His wife teased.

"They're best cooked speared on a stick. But I know we don't have much in the way of extra wood –" Ardeth began.

"I have a better idea." Aamir offered. He pulled several long picks from one of the digging packs. "Be careful not to burn your tongues on the metal, unless you wish to grace me with some peace and quiet."

With Ardeth to guide them, those interested in having fresh meat for dinner were instructed how to spear the scorpions on the end of the picks by their stumped stingers. Jonathan was coaxed into roasting one with some words from Katrina, and soon a good number of the party were circled around the fire, slowly roasting the arachnids.

"This reminds me of when I was in the French Foreign Legion." Rick reminisced. "We usually roasted things like sausages or chunks of meat, but uh… It's fundamentally the same."

"This is so cool, Dad." Alex enthused. "Think we could build a fire pit in the back garden when we get back home and do this?"

"With what?" Evelyn asked. "I think all our bugs are a bit too small to eat back home."

"_Mum_, they're arachnids."

"How do you know when they're done?" Katrina asked Ardeth.

"May I see?" Katrina pulled hers from the flame and hovered it by Ardeth. "Perfect! You can tell when the skin has burst slightly and the juice is running down. Any longer and they'll be dry. Now," Using the long part of his robes as a guard against the heat, he took his own scorpion from the end of his pick. "Once it's cooled, you simply peel back the exoskeleton –" He waited for the scorpion to cool slightly and picked away the now-browned exoskeleton. "And then," He raised the creature to his mouth and made a loud sucking noise. Aamir laughed as Ardeth moaned at the heat, but the Medjai nevertheless finished the job. He chewed, swallowed, and said, "And it is done."

"It's like eating crawdads." Katrina commented with a smile, sucking her own meat from the exoskeleton. "Could use some spices just to pep things up."

"It could use a bowl of diced potatoes and a shooter of Glenlivet!" Jonathan lamented. Despite his moaning, he finished his arachnid, picking the exoskeleton clean.

Work started before the sun rose the next morning. Evy's wish to clear off the roof and free the temple of the banks of sand was well-heeded. Katrina took over the shaker so Alex could get in on the action with his mother, father, and uncle. Ardeth did his best to inspect the architecture and wrack his brain for some reason, _any_ reason why the Medjai would not know of this place. It was Roman architecture, that was plain enough to see, but Ardeth knew of at least a dozen sites of Roman temples and complexes from after Octavian's conquest. It made no sense why this one was overlooked, even if it had been buried beneath the sands for thousands of years.

"Look at that!" Evelyn breathed as the temple's shape was finally freed from the sands. The entire structure was made of Egyptian sandstone, towering above the sands, but still minute when compared to the nearby cliffs. The row of columns at the entrance was the only use of the support structures with the rest of the temple made of straight lines and slabs of sandstone. In a small niche located in the peak of the roof, a small statue that must have been Minerva stood. She was missing her head and an arm, but the sentinel owl on her shoulder identified her well enough. Evy beamed at her husband, who had joined Katrina in working the shaker, and looked to Aamir and his diggers, all leaning heavily on her brooms and shovels. "Let's take a break for a bit, shall we? Then we'll work on cracking the seal on the doorway."

"I hope our 'expert' will check for booby traps." Aamir muttered, shouldering his broom. Ardeth disregarded him, as he was becoming used to doing. Instead, he crossed to Rick. "I think that I should go and alert my brothers at our camp. I would wish for them to be here when you open the door if only for safe's sake."

"Yeah." Rick nodded. "Still can't figure this out?" The Medjai simply affirmed his question with a nod. "I'll delay Evy as long as I can but you know her."

"Indeed." Ardeth gave his friend a nod and turned to retrieve his horse. "I'll ride fast."

His horse surged forward, sending up clouds of sand in her haste. The scorching sun was cooled by the wind whipping through his hair. He would head north and follow the path to the well, then turn around the cliffs the temple sat beside, and then bring some of his Medjai brethren with him –

But suddenly his horse sank beneath him with a terrified whinny and Ardeth found himself thrown from the horse's back and mired in quicksand. The horse shrieked in terror, its forelegs thrashing and only sinking it deeper into the morass. "Kiya! Kiya calm yourself –" Ardeth commanded the horse, but she just let out another terrified whinny. A large air bubble escaped to the surface of the quicksand and Ardeth found himself sucked into the mire up to his shoulders. He had tangled with quicksand before, and if one didn't lose their head, they were generally fine. Quicksand was almost never more than a few feet deep, but this treacherous pit seemed to have no bottom within range.

The horse screamed and finally her hooves found a bit of solid ground. She pulled herself out of the sludge, leaving Ardeth to sink further into the mire. Ardeth froze as he felt his chin dip in the sand. Further struggle would just make him sink deeper. Instead, he calmed himself for a moment before slowly beginning to drag his arms to the surface. His horse fretted at the edge of the pit before suddenly letting out another scream. Ardeth turned his head to find a cobra hissing at Kiya and striking at her legs. Without much more incentive, Kiya bolted from the pit, the cobra slithering after her.

"Kiya!" Ardeth cried after her, but his word was futile. He looked up into the clear blue Egyptian sky, the scorching sun burning his face. He'd have to return to the camp and borrow a camel as soon as he pulled himself from the quicksand. By then it might be too late... But Ardeth quickly found that no matter how slow he moved, the mire was determined to swallow him. The Medjai had never encountered a pit of quicksand such as this in all of his years of living in the desert. And Ardeth could not help but thinking it was somehow connected to the temple. He should have never left the temple – One Medjai was better than none, but hindsight always had the wisdom that had been lacked before.

"Ardeth? Ardeth, is that you?"

His golden eyes looked in the direction of the voice as he saw Kit, her camel weighted down with water skins, approaching from the north. He had forgotten that she had been making trips back and forth to the well that morning.

"Careful!" Ardeth warned. "It's quicksand."

The woman halted her camel twenty feet from the pit and, at the moment, it appeared as though she were arguing with herself. She would move to dismount and then sit down firmly in her seat before trying such a thing again. Finally, she plunked down in the sand in a very decided fashion, reeled for a moment, and then screwed her face into a look of determination. "I think I have some rope in my pack. Stay still – don't die."

"With pleasure." Ardeth replied, feeling himself slowly creeping further into the muck. "I do not mean to alarm you but –" The sand shifted and Ardeth found himself craning his face skyward to continue being able to speak. "I seem to be sinking quickly."

Kit circled the end of the rope, double knotting it. "Just grab." She threw it into the sludge. "I'm going to get you out of there."

With difficulty, Ardeth pulled an arm free and looped it through the circlet of rope. The quicksand gurgled and with a force that was nothing known to nature, Ardeth was sucked below the surface. Precious air escaped his lungs as he cried out, blinded and suffocated by the quagmire. His arm hugged the rope as tightly as possible and he felt it grow taught. _Oh Allah. Don't let me die here Kit_.

Someone heard his prayer, for a moment later he was pulled back above the surface. Blowing the quicksand from his nose, Ardeth gasped for air. He shook quicksand from his face and saw Kit astride the camel, the rope wrapped around the rear saddle horn she spurred the beast slowly, but steadily, onward. "Ardeth! Are you alive back there?" She called over her shoulder.

"Yes." Ardeth called.

Kit raised her chin, her eyes looking past the man. Her complexion blanched. "Good. Because we have problems."

"What?"

"Look behind you!" Ardeth turned his head, still holding onto the rope, and saw the horizon dusky with a sandstorm bearing towards them. His foot touched the firmer side of the pit and he pulled himself up to stand on solid ground as the wind began to gust, particles of sand fogging the air. Casting aside the rope, he didn't bother shaking drops of quicksand from his robes as he ran to the camel. Taking the rider's arm, Ardeth pulled himself up behind Kit. He didn't wait to be firmly seated before he cried, "Ride! To the well!"


	6. The Sandstorm

The evening air was temperate but cool enough that one would wish for a wrap if they were to stay outside for an extended amount of time. Nefertiri emerged onto her balcony, a smile playing on her lips as she looked down to the Medjai sentries in the courtyard. The day had not been entirely unpleasant; she had been given the honor of protecting the Bracelet of Anubis whereas Anck-Su-Namun was given the duty to protect her father. Nefertiri saw her father's sense in it. If she was to be his wife, replacing Nefetiri's beautiful deceased mother Queen Tuya, it was good sense to have a consort that could protect you. Whether the princess would ever truly trust her father's future bride was uncertain to say, and after the look exchanged between High Priest Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun today…

"Your bath is ready, Your Highness." Amunet's bare feet pattered quietly as she ducked under the drawn curtain that partitioned the balcony and the princess' apartments. "Should I have the slaves call for the singers or –?"

"Not yet, Amunet." Nefertiri replied, smiling gently at her handmaiden. The girl had been her companion since they were both little, and though Nefertiri was years older than her, Amunet carried herself with the maturity of someone beyond her years. "I want to enjoy the evening air."

"Of course, Your Highness." Her handmaiden smiled and lingered at the balcony railing with the princess. "You fought well today. You could tell the pharaoh is proud."

"Not well enough, I fear." Nefertiri sighed. "Though I would not trust Anck-Su-Namun with guarding the bracelet."

Amunet tried to offer a sympathetic smile. "I know." She murmured. "Perhaps Your Highness should not speak so loudly." She nodded towards the concubine's quarters across the courtyard. Anck-Su-Namun was loitering in her quarters, little more than a scantily-clad figure. "Would you wish her to hear?"

"I would not care one fig if she did." Nefertiri replied haughtily. "I am Pharaoh's loyal subject as well as his loving daughter, but I will not curb my tongue from speaking the truth."

Amunet meekly nodded. The two stood in silence for a moment before the younger broke it. "Is… Is that my father?"

The rooms of Anck-Sun-Namun had a grand balcony across from Nefertiri's, providing a clear view into the concubine's quarters for the princess and her handmaiden to see whatever occurred within. Nefertiri followed Amunet's gaze as Imhotep crossed to the pharaoh's concubine and, after a tender gesture, the two embraced in an intimate kiss. Amunet looked to her friend who looked so aghast that she could not move. Unsure of what to say, Amunet looked back just as the pharaoh's voice echoed through the room. "Oh Isis, no." Amunet whispered.

Imhotep fled and Anck-Su-Namun prepared herself to greet the pharaoh. Seti asked Anck-Su-Namun an indistinct question as Imhotep circled from behind, unseen by the pharaoh. Amunet blanched, her fingers turning white on the balcony's bannister. "Medjai!" Nefertiri called to the courtyard, her face turning into a mask of fear, "My father needs you!" The sentinels immediately flooded up the steps to Anck-Su-Namun's apartments, but too late. Imhotep pulled Pharaoh's blade from his belt before Anck-Su-Namun drew a knife, stabbing the Pharaoh in the back as his attention was focused on the priest. Nefertiri screamed, helplessly watching as her father was mercilessly slaughtered by two of the people he trusted most. Amunet's arms wrapped around the princess, her words of comfort falling on deaf ears as the princess collapsed in a fit of hysteria –

Evy jerked out of her dream, a cool breeze blowing through the flap of the tent as Katrina poked her head in. "Hey. Done napping? The diggers are raring to go."

"A moment." Evy pleaded, rubbing her eyes. She supposed she hadn't slept as well as she should have the night before. A short rest turned into slumber, and another of those dreams – this one disconcerting. She pushed the details away for another time and grabbed her things. There was a temple to get into.

"Honey, why don't we wait for Ardeth?" Rick asked, trailing after Evy as the group headed to unseal the temple doors. The wind had picked up a little as the morning wore on and the group had a late breakfast. Ardeth hadn't returned and Kit was still out retrieving water.

Aamir grumbled the word "expert" as Evelyn climbed the steps. "We've unsealed doors without him before, dear."

"Yeah, but –" The wind whipped up, causing Rick to narrow his eyes against airborne sand. He looked to Jonathan for support, but the man was busy attempting to draw Katrina's attention with his "adventures."

"…killed his minions, and then I stole the mummy's scepter! Which was… lost afterward."

"Mmhmm." Katrina replied vacantly, leaving Jonathan behind to join Evy and the diggers at the door as they pulled out chisels and hammers to coax the sealed doors open.

Jonathan sighed and stopped in his tracks. "No respect."

Aamir supervised the diggers as they slid the chisel's blade into the crevices of the two-paneled stone slab blocking the temple's entrance. Gently, they tapped the butts of the chisels, doing their best not to fracture the stone. Evy watched, rapture clearly on her face, as doors sighed, signifying the seal had been broken. Her husband came to stand beside her, jaw clenched. "You're overreacting, dear. There's been nothing to be cautious about this entire journey." Rick said nothing, but joined the diggers in removing the two stone slabs as the wind began screaming through the columns of the temple's portico.

The temple's opening having been decidedly uneventful, Evy called for light to venture into the shadowy complex. The woman was given the first lantern and she led the way. Some sand had seeped in over the years, creating shallow banks of the grit on either side of the door. "Oh my – Look!" Still guarding the entrance on both sides, skeletons laid in the sand with remnants of what had once been Roman Legionnaire armor. Evy set down her lantern and crouched, pulling a brush from her pack as she inspected the bones to the left. "Look at this!" The cloth had rotted away, but the metal disks of an infantryman's armor still remained inside of the ribcage and cushioned by sand. "We'll need to be careful with these – See if you can brighten up this place. Mind where you step! Katrina, Alex, come here!"

With his wife occupied, Rick took his preferred method of illumination (a torch) and continued further into the temple. There was no obstruction to the airy chamber of the place. The back wall was solid, showing that there was nothing more to the interior than the large chamber they currently occupied. Cracks in the sandstone walls sang as the wind continued to blow outside. "Uh, Aamir?" Rick called, "Could we get some supports in here? I'm feeling a little uneasy with this wind."

"Of course." Aamir replied. He called three of his diggers to him and they headed outside. Rick continued surveying the inside of the temple. There was a raised altar in the center of the chamber - could that be where the Belt of Isis was? A chill ran down his spine as the wind shrieked with unmatched fury and he decided to return to the entrance of the temple. Just as he did, Aamir and the diggers accompanying him reentered, out of breath

"Evelyn, there's a sandstorm blowing right for the temple." Aamir gasped.

"What?" Evy pulled herself to her feet, walking outside to the temple portico. Even at this distance, the air was clotted with sand and visibility was dropping. The sandstorm had already blotted out the horizon to the south and was growing bigger by the second. She turned to her husband and Aamir, a hand raised to her lips before decisively stating, "Fill some water skins. Bring in as many food stores as you can and make sure the rest are sealed. We'll weather the storm in the temple." Aamir nodded and called to his diggers.

"Jonathan, let's help them." Katrina bade.

"Well I thought I'd –" The man began.

"I'm supervising." Alex rebutted, latching onto one of his uncle's arms. "Come on Uncle Jon, the storm's coming!"

The three chased after the diggers and Evy set her tools down. "We'll bring in those supports you wanted and we should be just fine, don't you think?" She asked her husband.

Eyes narrowing against the northern horizon, Rick saw no sign of anyone astride a camel coming back to camp. Hands falling uselessly to his side, Rick demanded, "What about Kit?" Evy blanched. She hadn't thought of Kit.

"Oh no." Evy looked back to the cloud of sand. "Aamir, do you think we have time to go find Kit?"

The chief digger shook his head from the water canopy. "We have minutes, if that. I'm sorry, but she will have to fend for herself. Let's hope she can take direction from a camel."

The camel's feet thundered against the sandy floor as Kit spurred the beast on. Ardeth, clinging to Kit with one arm, unplugged the water skins and let them drain as they ran, freeing up weight so the camel could move faster. Sand was descending upon them like a cloud of locusts as they finally came within sight of the well. The mud brick hut next to it looked more welcoming than any sight seen before. The camel brayed as Kit pulled the beast to a halt next to the building and she and Ardeth slipped from its humped back. "Wait!" Kit bade when Ardeth pulled her towards the structure.

"Kit, there is _no time_ –"

She disregarded the Medjai as visibility lowered so swiftly Ardeth could barely see the camel's silhouette. Particles of sand slapped the Medjai's face and infiltrated his nostrils, threatening to suffocate him. The woman untied her pack from the camel as well as the last remaining water skin. She turned back to Ardeth, but the structure had disappeared in the whirling sand. Wind whistled around them, blinding them with grit and ripping the very air from their lungs.

"Hold my hand!" Ardeth roared against the wind, grasping hers firmly with his own. _"Do not let go_."

The wind howled, tearing at Ardeth's robes. His skin chafed as the sand scratched and clawed, choking and blinding the Medjai. With his free hand, he blindly grasped for anything in the sandstorm, but his hands closed on nothing time and time again. He felt Kit struggling to keep up behind him and a scream was swallowed up as a hellish blast threatened to pull her from Ardeth's hold. The Medjai pulled the woman closer to him, linking their arms together. He struggled to breathe a ragged breath when finally – The blessed roughness of mud brick! Hands scrabbling along the wall, Ardeth at last felt the splintered wooden door beneath his fingers, and as quickly as possible, he wrenched the shabby door open and shoved Kit unceremoniously through the door. Together, they placed all of their weight against the door to close and latch it against the wind. Finally, f_inally _they were free from the storm.

Kit coughed, chest rising and falling briskly. Pulling a sandy bandana from her pack, the woman blew her nose. "I'm sorry," She panted, "But I was not going to have us die of thirst if the sandstorm doesn't let up for a while."

Ardeth shook the loose sand from his hair, wiping his eyes afterward. "All that matters is we made it. And you have impressive foresight." He slid down to sit against the mud brick wall, sighing as he did. The interior of the mud brick hut was simple: packed sand floor, no windows, a small port in the roof of one of the corners for a cooking fire, and the earthenware ceramics and bedroll the men had found the evening before.

The entire structure shuddered and, maybe it was just the wind, but a cry of anguish rang outside the mudbrick walls. Kit's complexion had changed to a sallow pallor. She wouldn't meet Ardeth's eyes as she began, "Will... Will..."

The Medjai's brow furrowed and he brushed clumps of quicksand. "Go on."

Kit's gaze met Ardeth's. "Will the camel be alright?"

The question struck Ardeth as so funny he could not help but laugh. "The camel?" His chuckles heightened in volume and he ran a hand through his hair. "The camel will be fine. They're made for sandstorms."

"Oh. Good." Kit offered a sheepish smile. "She's a good camel."

"The best." Ardeth agreed. She'd gotten them there safely and pulled him from the quicksand; he wasn't in any position to slander the beast.

Kit scooted over to Ardeth, pulling a chunk of sand from his hair. The Medjai's scalp and hair was full of knots of sand thanks to both the quicksand and the storm outside. "Here I am worrying about a camel when you almost drowned. Are you alright?"

"I'm still breathing. I'm fine." Ardeth replied. His eyes met with Kit's as she pulled another clump from his hair. "Thank you."

Kit smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad I decided to do well-runs today." She pulled her pack over to them, opening it. "I've always heard that quicksand isn't as deadly as adventure pictures and newspaper stories would have you believe."

The door rattled and a puff of sand escaped into the structure. Ardeth wafted it away from his mouth. "I…" He looked to Kit and her sudden pallor. Her hands were shaking as she dug into her pack. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She smiled wanly. "Headache."

Both the quicksand and the sandstorm had not acted as nature did. Nature was brutal and unfeeling, but did not threaten to suck the life out of you or scream when you escaped its clutches. And Kit's quick departure from a normal complexion to one of almost deathly pallor could not be coincidence. Ardeth knew that the woman did not know her family's previous acquaintance with the Creature. But if Ardeth was right, she could have just been pulled into something similar. "Kit… Do you have the feeling that this sandstorm could not be coincidence?"

The woman became paler, if that was even possible. "What do you mean?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"It's not my place to tell you previous experiences your family has gone through in Egypt, but suffice it to say that they have not all been… pleasant." Ardeth told her. If O'Connell was angry with him, he could bear the brunt of it, but he would not have Kit being blind to the danger they were all in once the sandstorm stopped. "There have been times when something supernatural has threatened your family, and I fear that it is happening today."

Kit swallowed, abandoning her pack to turn her full attention on the Medjai. "What makes you say that?"

Ardeth brushed dried quicksand from his shoulders and looked back to Kit. "I've dealt with quicksand before. Your brother, Jonathan, and I rode over the same earth last evening. Why did it not collapse then? Why did it wait until I was riding to get help in case… in case there was something insidious in the temple?" Perspiration began to wet Kit's forehead as Ardeth continued. "And, in the middle of the desert, any quicksand should only be a few feet deep at most. This quicksand seemed bottomless. It pulled me without movement and a cobra scared off my horse – what would a cobra be doing this far away from water? And then, when you unexpectedly save me, a sandstorm threatens to swallow us both?" Ardeth finished supplying his evidence. "There is a force that is not nature that is working to ensure I do not call my brothers to aid us."

Kit shivered, though the inside of the hut was far from cold. "What can we do?"

"Nothing until the storm dies down." Ardeth replied, regret in his voice. "I hope that your family will be safe until then." _Allah willing, there is truly nothing in the temple to be worried about_.

Kit nodded and the pair sat in silence for a moment, listening to the wind howling and buffeting the exterior of the hut. "Ardeth… I have a question."

"Ask." The Medjai replied.

"Has your father passed?" Ardeth nodded cautiously, unsure what direction she would take with this. "And you miss him?"

"Of course."

"What if… What if he hadn't passed and was being kept from you? What would you do to find him?"

The question surprised Ardeth. "I suppose I would do anything to find him. I would travel, I would search."

"And whatever the price you had to pay, it would be worth it as long as you found your father, right?" Kit stared hard at the man, her blue eyes boring holes into him. She seemed desperate for the man to agree with her. "I mean, you'd do things you wouldn't usually do because you wanted to find your father and reunite with him; because you wanted to have a family."

"It would depend." Ardeth replied. "Kit, why are you asking me this?"

"Because fair's fair and I..." She trailed off, looking away from the man.

"Kit, what –?" Ardeth asked, grabbing for one of her hands. The touch of her skin stopped his speech – she was cold, clammy, and shaking. Ardeth reached to turn Kit's damp face towards him and felt a fever burning, starkly contrasting the feel of her hands. "Kit, are you well?"

"No." She admitted, closing her eyes.

"Lay down, lay down." Ardeth besought her. She made herself comfortable on the bedroll within the hut and Ardeth retrieved the water skin, gently pouring some into Kit's mouth. _Fair is fair_… Ardeth echoed in his head and he capped the water skin. Why would she speak of such things seeming out of the blue? She wouldn't unless… Ardeth's blood ran cold. He leaned over Kit, placing a hand on her feverish cheek. "Kit, _don't tell me_… Don't tell me you're connected to what's happening?" Evy had said she had found the information about the temple, she had showed up at the right time to rescue him, her illness was so sudden that there could be no other explanation unless she was receiving the anger of whatever had tried to kill him as well.

The woman trembled, swallowing before choking out the admission, "I am."


	7. Shafek

When properly lit, the temple wasn't gloomy at all. Aamir and Rick had pulled in enough materials to make some torches in addition to the supports and other supplies. The pair and the diggers filled the empty torch brackets of the temple and shored up structurally insecure sections of the chamber's walls while Evy, Katrina, and Alex continued brushing off the Legionnaire skeletons. Jonathan was keeping himself busy by offering unwanted advice to whoever would listen.

"You should wrap those torches tighter – Make the fuel work for it!" Jonathan told the diggers as bound linen around the ends of shortened supports. Once finished, they'd be dipped in lamp-oil and used to fill empty brackets. One of the men turned to another, speaking in Arabic. The other man laughed and they continued their work. "Yes, well... that's the spirit! Whistle while you work and all that..."

"Now," Evelyn sighed, standing and brushing off her trousers. "We left the camera outside didn't we?"

"You said we didn't need it, Mum." Alex replied, slipping his brush back into the toolkit.

"We'll just have to wait until after the storm and hope the film wasn't affected." Sand had been brushed free from the bones, revealing that both Legionnaires died sitting down. "They're each missing a couple phalanges, see there?" Evelyn pointed out. "But I'm sure Alex can find those with the shaker later."

"Aw Mum…"

"I'll shake 'em, Alex." Katrina replied, smiling. "Don't want anyone stepping on our soldiers' toes, do we?"

Rick accepted one of the support beams from Aamir and worked on putting it in place. Work kept his mind off of the fact that Kit was probably trapped out there in this storm, weathering it with nothing but that camel… "I'm sure your sister will be alright." Aamir comforted from where he held the small stepladder for Rick, as though he knew the man's thoughts. "A camel is smarter than most men – There is a proverb that says such, but it slips my mind right now."

"You really have a thing for camels, don't you?" Rick commented, finishing fixing the support and climbing down the ladder.

"My grandfather was a camel herder. I spent many seasons with the beasts after my father passed." Aamir replied. "They are truly never given enough credit and worth their weight in jackasses."

Jonathan paced over to the altar, having been rebuffed when persisting with torch-making advice. Being the only real feature of the temple's chamber, the altar was disappointingly empty. "Wouldn't this belt thing be on the altar?" Jonathan asked, brushing off the sandstone top with his hand.

"Jonathan, _don't_ touch anything." Evy called, gathering her tools together from the skeletons.

"Why didn't you make a beeline for this, anyway?" Jonathan continued. "Isn't the necklace what we came for?"

Evy joined her brother at the altar, pulling him away from the stone. "Yes, but I don't want anything neglected in our pursuit of it." Her hazel eyes turned on the empty stone slab and she sighed. "If they were keeping the belt protected, why would they place it on a rather obvious altar? It would be begging to be found then." Evy crouched down, pulling out one of her many brushes and sweeping it across the altar's sides to detail the carvings of owls from the dust. "We'll find it."

Rick's disposition suddenly brightening, he crossed to his wife. "Maybe it's not even here." He couldn't help but smile. "Maybe someone else secreted it away before we got here."

"Without cracking the seal on the door?" Evy asked doubtfully, eyebrow raised. "Unless there's a secret tunnel we're not seeing –"

"Or maybe it was a bluff." Katrina suggested, she and Alex approaching the altar. "What better way to throw someone off the trail than to say 'Here's exactly where this powerful artifact is. Fetch!' and have them expend resources while hiding it somewhere else?"

"Have you hidden treasure before?" Alex asked, cocking his head to the side.

Katrina laughed. "I had to hide any money I might have made when I was little from my brothers. I would loudly state it was in my coin bank before hiding it in my sock drawer."

"I'll have to remember that if I ever have any brothers or sisters." The boy muttered to himself.

"I certainly hope that isn't –" Evy began as her brush circled the oval eyes of one of the owl's carvings. There was an unexpected hiss and a plume of dust rose in the air, causing those present to flinch in surprise. A squared stone panel popped out of the side of the altar above the owl carving in question. Evy looked to her husband and Katrina before reaching up to pull the panel out.

"Honey, careful –"

"It's obviously not impregnated with salt acid, dear." Evy sighed. The panel was easily removed and inside the altar something glimmered.

Ardeth's expression froze at Kit's admission. "What is going on, Kit?" He demanded. Her eyes averted and the Medjai grabbed her by the shoulders, leveling his face to look into hers. "Tell me! You don't know what forces you're dealing with –"

"It's not me." The woman rasped. She worsened by the second. "And I can't tell you; I –" She convulsed in pain, her back arching away from the ground and head rolling against it.

This was dark magic at work. Ardeth had not seen much of it besides the doings of the Creature. Kit knew something; but from her swiftly advancing illness it was evident that she physically _could not_ tell him anything more. Meanwhile, who knew what could be happening to the O'Connells and company back at the temple? The sandstorm continued to howl outside the hut, but Ardeth did not care anymore. "Kit, get up – Get up, we've got to go."

"Ardeth, the moment we get back to – ungh!" Kit's entire body went rigid with pain. Her fingers clutched the edge of the bedroll as her jaw clenched. She was able to utter through gritted teeth. "I don't know what will happen if we get back." The next she uttered with absolute shame. "And... I'm afraid."

Ardeth didn't know whether to feel sympathy or disgust for the woman. "Your fear is not going to dictate the fate of _your family_." The Medjai crossed to the door, unlatching it. The door whipped from its hinges, cartwheeling out of sight as the interior of the hut was filled with blowing sand. Ardeth covered half of his face with his robes and pulled a colorless shawl from Kit's pack, winding it around her face a couple times. Ignoring Kit's efforts to resist, the man pulled one of her arms across his shoulders and the pair stumbled into the sandstorm. The sun itself was blotted from existence, but Ardeth was able to find the camel hunkered down against the blowing sand. "Kit, get on!" Ardeth cried in the wind, but the woman either would not obey or could not muster her strength. The Medjai had to help Kit struggle atop the camel before climbing up behind her. He wrapped his arms around the woman to keep her astride the beast and took the reins, cajoling the camel to stand.

Even astride the camel, Ardeth had no idea how they would find their way back to the temple. Kit's balance was shaky, so the man had to ensure his arms guarded against her falling. Besides that, the blowing sand was blinding Ardeth and attempting to get under his robes to suffocate him. How could they find their way? The Medjai had an idea. "I'm returning her to the temple!" He yelled into the wind. "A little direction might be useful there if you want her so badly!" As if on cue, a tunnel cleared through the storm, heading south. Ardeth's spine shivered; despite this, he spurred the camel onward. Kit was silent as they jostled down the tunnel. What could whomever was behind this hope to gain by using Kit? Did they not know the O'Connells had defeated ancient evil twice? "Kit?" Ardeth asked, his lips pressed against the woman's ear so that only she would hear. "Is this about the belt?" The tunnel collapsed, throwing the camel and its riders into the sandstorm once more. The camel reared up, almost unseating both Ardeth and Kit. Ardeth screamed wordlessly into the wind and spurred the camel forward into the abyss.

"Remember last time?" Rick warned as Evy reached into the altar to pull out whatever was stored inside. "Bracelet of Anubis?"

"Right." Without batting an eye, Evy took off her boot and pulled off her stocking. She jammed the boot back on, hobbling over to one of the crests of sand near the door once her foot was covered. She funneled several fistfuls of grit into the stocking before turning back to the altar.

"Dad... has Mum lost it?" Alex asked quietly.

"You got me, champ." Rick replied.

"I can hear you." Evy reminded her husband and son as she tied the stocking at the top and returned to the altar, crouching. She smoothly switched out the stocking for the belt, but there was no pressure plate sigh or sign that there was a mechanism that could tell when the jewelry had been taken. "Shoddy security." Evelyn said with a sigh, smiling. "Lucky us."

"Pressure plates existed back then?" Katrina asked, awe in her voice. "Wow!"

"These are from the people who built the pyramids, my dear." Jonathan lectured, puffing out his chest. "A little pressure plate is nothing."

Evy slowly unfurled the item she pulled from the altar. The belt was made of linked ivory cushioned with gold between each piece. It was nothing sophisticated in design, but the richness of the materials spoke volumes of the importance of whoever wore it. After thousands of years, the golden links that connected each bead of ivory was still as strong and polished as the day they were forged.

"You know, Mum, it's kind of weird that the Bracelet of Anubis looked like mostly like a scorpion when he's usually represented as a jackal; the Scepter of Osiris didn't have almost anything symbolizing him, and Isis' belt has nothing to signify her either." Alex mused, looking at the jewelry as his mother turned it over in her hands. "The Ancient Egyptians could use a lesson in their own symbology."

"We don't know what the Romans might have done to it Alex – But I agree."

"Bracelet of Anubis? What did the gods have? A matching jewelry collection?" Aamir asked from the side of the chamber.

"The Scepter of Osiris?" Katrina echoed, looking to Jonathan. "Was that cock-and-bull you were trying to feed me true?"

"I tell the truth a lot, actually." Jonathan replied, indignant, "Yet people are always surprised."

The procurement of the belt was much more effortless than Rick had suspected. The wind still howled outside, but all of his worries and anxieties over the belt were slowly melting away. When Ardeth returned, he'd be happily disappointed. And as long as Kit was unscathed by the sandstorm, Rick would be the first to admit he had been overreacting, which was a pleasant surprise these days.

"Are you going to try it on, Evy?" Katrina asked, grinning. She missed the sharp looks Alex, Jonathan, and Rick gave to her.

"No." Evy replied gently, "It's um… bad luck, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh." Katrina looked a little discouraged at the answer. "Well, that's a downer. I guess we'll just have to admire it from afar – Or maybe a model at the museum."

"That's positive thinking." Evy encouraged, smiling.

From outside, muffled by the wind, Ardeth's voice suddenly rang out. "O'Connell! Evelyn!"

"My word, who is that?" Evy asked, looking to the door with everyone else following suit.

"Ardeth!" Rick answered, leaving the altar. Aamir followed in step behind him.

"How did he get here in the storm?" Katrina mused. "Wow."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Alex murmured. Evy placed the necklace atop the altar and followed after Rick with her son, her brother, and the lounge singer on her heels. The adventurer and chief digger moved one of the stone slabs long enough to let Ardeth and a great gust of sand inside. Carried in the Medjai's arms was Kit, half of her face covered and the other half visibly ashen. Both man and women were plastered from head to toe in sand which added years onto Ardeth, graying his hair and beard.

"Oh my God." Evelyn breathed. "What happened?"

"Kit? Kit!" Rick crossed to Ardeth, taking his sister from him and lowering her to the ground. He pulled the shawl from her mouth and she coughed, sending up small puffs of sand from her clothing. Her lips moved to speak, but no sound came out.

"Have you found the belt?" Ardeth demanded, his eyes glancing over his friends and instead looking to the altar. "Did you find it?"

"It doesn't matter at the moment!" Evy replied, falling beside her husband and sister-in-law. "What happened?"

"There's a force at work here, my friends, and Kit must _not_ get her hands on the belt." Ardeth rebutted, heading for the altar. "It's done something to her, punishing her for... I don't know what."

Katrina's dark eyebrows arched. "'A force at work?'" She echoed. "You make it sound like the revenge of Tut's tomb!"

"Water… Alex, Alex, can you bring me water?" Rick asked. His son nodded and brushed by Ardeth, heading for the water skins. "What the hell happened out there Ardeth? Why are you so spooked, and why is Kit – Why is she like this?"

Ardeth stopped for a moment to look back to his friend. "_Something_ tried to stop me from returning to the Medjai encampment. When Kit intervened, we were caught in the sandstorm. When we found refuge, your sister fell ill – And she admitted to being involved in whatever this is. I demanded more information from her, and she convulsed in pain. Some _thing_ will not let her speak the truth, not let her confess what is happening!" Ardeth turned back, bounding to the altar. He grabbed the belt, brandishing the jewelry at his friends. "You have to get this out of here, you have to get it far away from Kit and make sure she can never find it!"

"Isn't that a overreacting a bit?" Katrina asked. "The story about the Belt of Isis giving power to its wearer is just like a fairy tale. There's gotta be some explanation for all of this other than ghost stories." Katrina looked like she was the only one to believe so. Even Aamir looked doubtful. "Right?" No one would meet her eyes. Katrina turned on Jonathan, bristling. "What haven't you told me?"

"Well –"

Jonathan did not get the chance to finish as Rick shifted his sister in his arms. His fingertips brushed sand from her cheeks. "Kit," He had to swallow once to make sure his voice came out smoothly. Alex returned with the water skin, and Rick poured some in his sister's mouth and over her lips to moisten them. "Kit, what is Ardeth talking about?" Her blue eyes stared into Rick's own, betraying no emotion but sheer terror. "Answer me!"

One of the stone slabs blew in abruptly, shattering upon the sandstone floor and sending pieces flying. Some of the glasses of the lanterns broke, sending parts of the temple into darkness. The torches guttered, and an inhuman howling filled the chamber, resonating within every person's chest. The diggers spooked and ran, yelling Arabic as they plummeted through the open doorway. They disappeared into the sandstorm and the interior of the temple chamber was plunged into intermittent darkness from the guttering torches and broken lanterns. Something roughly bumped into Ardeth before buffeting Rick and knocking Katrina to the ground. "There's something in here!" Aamir cried. When a torch flared back to life for a second or two, sometimes a shadow could be seen spidering across the chamber or ghosting back towards the entrance.

"Alex, get to your mother! Someone, please take Kit, take –" All the relief Rick had felt vanished as he abandoned cradling his sister, drawing both of his pistols as he stood. Ardeth's sword rang as it was drawn. Something roughly knocked into him and the Medjai swiped blindly into thin air.

"Be careful!" Jonathan's voice shrilly warned.

"Alex, come here –" Evy cried into the darkness.

"Mum – _Mum_!" The boy gasped. Gunshots from Rick's pistol ricocheted through the temple.

"Rick, don't be an idiot!" Evy scolded.

"What is going on?" Aamir demanded, unanswered by all. "I'm not getting paid enough for this!"

Once more, the Medjai was shoved, this time falling to the ground with such force both his sword and the belt were knocked from his hands. The sword sent up a spark or two, but the jewelry vanished. The Medjai's panicked voice called, "The belt, I've lost it!"

"Someone find that damn thing!" Rick demanded, but no one could see anything for long, much less located a piece of jewelry.

The wind died down and the torches finally burned fully, casting much needed illumination on the interior of the temple. The phantom shadow had disappeared for the moment, but the disarray it had left was unmistakable. Ardeth lay on his stomach pawing at the ground in an attempt to find the belt. Rick still had both pistols drawn, bearing down on almost any movement. Alex had found his moth, and her arms wrapped protectively around the boy as they sought refuge next to the yawning entrance. Aamir was nearby, looking nothing but perplexed. Jonathan had flattened himself against the wall, his hand clutching Katrina's arm as her green eyes prowled the temple floor. "Where's the belt?" The singer asked, but all eyes were immediately drawn to Kit. The ivory shook in her hands as she fumbled with the clasp, rolling over to wrap the belt around her waist.

"Kit, no, _don't_ –!" Ardeth cried.

"I'm sorry. I have to." A look of pure remorse was on the pallid woman's face.

"You don't have to do this, _fight_ it – Kit, _no_!"

The clasp fastened and immediately the ivory and gold glowed with ethereal light. A vacuum of wind caused everyone to close their eyes as the light grew and even behind the protection of their eyelids, most had to raise an arm to block the illumination. The wind halted and Rick opened his eyes. The storm outside had stopped. Kit was no longer on the floor before the door. "Kit!" Rick yelled.

"Oh my God." Evy looked behind him and Rick turned. His sister had ascended into the air, borne by heavenly forces towards the altar. Her Bedouin gown melted away to be replaced by one of white linen. Square ivory earrings with dollops of gold in the center hung from her ears. Golden cuffs embraced her wrists, and the belt dangled from her waist as she was gently set upon her feet before the altar. Kit no longer looked like a sallow invalid, but in the peak of life and health. Despite this, she looked timid and unsure, her right hand straying to play with one of the belt's ivory links.

"Kit, what are you –" Rick demanded, but his words failed him as a figure in red materialized before Kit out of thin air. It took another moment to realize that this person, this man was not unknown to the O'Connells.

"Finally." The man commented, circling around Kit. "Took you long enough. Look at you!"

"You – You died –" Jonathan breathed, his hands clutching at the wall as he pressed against it. The last time he saw Shafek was when the pair fled from pygmies back at Ahm Shere. Shafek had been speared through the heart; he couldn't be alive!

Shafek, one of the silent members of Hafez's cultists, looked at Jonathan, a smile creeping onto his lips. Quick as a whip, Shafek suddenly vanished from the altar before materializing in front of Jonathan. The man in red pulled back a fist and slugged the casino owner across the face. Jonathan doubled over, gasping in pain as he clutched his cheek. "Sacred stones, hmm?" Shafek zapped back to the altar, turning to Kit. "Seal the entry. Make sure no one leaves this place unless I say so."

"Why?" Kit demanded.

"I said _seal it_." With a flick of her hand, the sandstone slab's pieces reformed before slamming back into place at the entrance, almost grazing Aamir as it did.

"I am _definitely_ not getting paid enough for this!" The chief digger muttered.

"Excellent." Shafek grinned, his teeth glimmering.

"The hell with this –" Rick grumbled, aiming at the man. Shafek smiled as Rick pulled the trigger, and the man disappeared, Rick's bullets hitting nothing but air. The man rematerialized at Rick's side and deftly boxed Rick in the ears, discombobulating him long enough to yank both pistols from his hands.

"Such barbaric weapons, don't you agree?" Shafek returned to Kit's side. "Disassemble them." Regret showing clearly on her face, Kit fluttered her fingers and the guns flew to pieces, the bullets bouncing on the sandstone as they fell.

Rick reeled for a moment before regaining his composure and shooting Kit a look filled with nothing but venom. "What are you doing?" He demanded. "Kit, why would you – Are you even my sister?" Rage filled his entire body. He felt blind and stupid, duped into bringing Kit here, finding the necklace, and now she was letting a man who should be dead control her! Why would she do that if she was family? Why would she hurt them if she cared for them? Because though no bodily harm had come to the party yet, Rick hurt. Rick _ached_, Rick felt like the pain was going to kill him. How could she do this to him?

"I am your sister!" Kit cried. "But –"

"For this life, at least." Shafek smiled and joined Kit at the altar. "Freeze him and the Medjai into place."

"You said –"

"What I'm _saying now_ is to freeze them to the ground." The man snapped.

The woman looked like she might cry. "I have to. I'm sorry." Kit made the excuse before waving her hand. Both Ardeth and Rick felt their feet adhere to the sandstone, and no matter how they pulled, their feet could not be persuaded to move.

"What is going on?" Katrina demanded, her voice warbling with insecurity.

Shafek looked to the singer. "I don't recognize you… Perhaps you'll come out of this alive, pretty thing."

"You never said anything about killing anyone." Kit objected, her complexion once more paling. "You said –"

"I am entitled to changing my price." Shafek replied, laughing, "And you know what will happen if you disobey!" Dramatically, Shafek pointed at the woman, raising his voice. "For my _price_, I want you to bring the great lord Imhotep back from the bowels of hell!"

"Auntie Kit, no!" Alex objected. Shafek made a hurling motion at the child and suddenly he was choked by sand, coughing out great big puffs of the stuff. His airways were quickly cleared of the grit; even so he stood panting.

Kit trembled, tears fighting their way down her cheeks as she looked to the boy. "I never agreed –"

"Yes you did! 'Anything to find my family,' I believe those were the words you used, Amunet."

"Amunet?" Evy echoed. Alex had recovered from the sand attack and his mother left his side, slowly approaching the altar. "Did you – Did you call her Amunet?" The dream from that morning and all the previous ones came flooding back and Evelyn felt her guts twist in distress. _Is that my father_? Amunet had asked, looking at Imhotep. If he was involved in this, if his reincarnated daughter was Kit, then everyone in this room was in much more danger than they had thought. But Kit was Rick's sister too – How could she choose one over the other? Immediately, Evelyn knew the answer. How could Meela Nais devote herself to finding Imhotep and bringing him back to be her lover before she had any memory of him? The answer was simple: _power_.

Shafek looked at Evy with pleasant astonishment. "Someone's been having dreams again." He crooned in a sing-song. Kit's expression was solemn as he looked back to her. "Even she knows. She is just confirming what _you_ know; why are you fighting this? Don't you want to see your father back in power?"

"Kit, even if you were once Amunet, that doesn't mean you have to follow his orders, that you have to bring –" Evy supplicated.

Shafek hissed at Evy, shushing her. "Who are you to tell her such things? _I_ found Amunet in a Sudan alley dying of malaria." Shafek began, turning away from the woman he spoke of. "Death would have claimed her in days if I did not intervene. Her papers boasted that she was sister of the great Rick O'Connell. And where was he? Where were _you_?" Shafek sneered at the man. "Profiting from the destruction of her father like the fiends you are! Out of all the people here, I believe I am the one she owes allegiance to!

"She has not been graced with glimpses of who she once was, who she truly _is_, as you have, Nefertiri." All faces turned to look at Evy. "But I showed her. I revealed to her that Nefertiri and her brother Ramses killed her once upon a time. And her crime?" Shafek fixed his stare on Ardeth. "Nothing more than being the child of Imhotep."

"That can't be." Evy objected. "Kit, in the dreams I've had, Amunet and Nefertiri were friends –" Evy was trying to bring back all the details of her dreams, but it was like trying to hold water in her hands.

"Do not taint her mind with untruths!" Shafek interrupted. "You, Princess Nefertiri, had her killed when she finally gave up Lord Imhotep's location after _days_ of body-racking, mind-numbing torture!"

"And?" Alex coughed out one last puff of sand. "What does that matter now?" The boy dodged his mother's grabbing hands, refusing to quail as he marched toward the man in red. "This is my mum we're talking about, not some pharaoh's daughter from a thousand years ago!" Alex besought the woman, "Auntie Kit –"

"Enough!" Shafek snapped. "Your words will not sway her! A pact forged in blood is not something easily forsaken." The man in red lunged at Alex, spinning the boy into his arms and whipping a small knife's blade against Alex's throat. The blade gently pierced his skin just enough to draw blood. Alex wriggled, bravely refusing to let out a moan of anguish. "I believe you said 'Fair's fair.' I demand fairness and allegiance, Amunet. I am the reason why you are still alive, why you are here now. I demand my price, and either you bring Imhotep back to us – Or I will make you watch as I bleed this little one dry."


	8. Debts Must Be Paid

"I won't." Kit set her jaw defiantly, halting in fiddling with the belt. She stepped towards Shafek, jabbing a finger at him. "This is my family –"

Shafek laughed hysterically. "Your family? The Medjai killed your true father, cursed him, and turned him into a monster and blight upon the earth! Nefertiri is the one who alerted them to his crime – and is love a crime? _Is it_? Bring him forth, Amunet. Bring him forth as only the gods can do – or lose your _family_ one by one!"

"Don't listen to him Auntie Kit!" Alex encouraged. "Don't worry about – yai!" Shafek gripped the blade tighter against Alex's skin. Rick pulled at his legs in futility. He had never felt so helpless, even as Evy died in his arms.

Ardeth felt an icy hand clutch at his insides. This could not be – The Creature could not come forth a final time. "Kit, you do not know what he is asking."

"I do." She replied quietly, refraining from averting her gaze away from Alex and his captor. "Shafek told me about Hamunaptra, Ahm Shere, Imhotep, everything. I've known the entire time."

"What is even going on here?" Jonathan gasped. "If you knew the whole time about us _killing that wanker_ and knew you had been his daughter, why did you even come find Rick? Why do you even care?" He seemed as agitated, if not more so, than Rick.

"I wanted my family!" Kit proclaimed, breaking her gaze to look beseechingly at everyone else in the room. "Shafek told me all of this, but Rick – Rick, you're my blood! You're all I have left. And so what, you had killed a man that was my father in a past life? I didn't – I _don't_ care! I wanted to find _you_. All I've wanted to do for years is to find you, and him telling me about Amunet, about Imhotep, it didn't change anything! It opened a door for me to find you and..." Kit's eyes averted to the ground. "Shafek's price for saving and helping me get to you was the belt. He said you were the only ones who could find it and I was the only one he could trust to wear it for him."

"Wear it _for_ him?" Katrina asked. "What do you mean?"

"Only a woman can control the power of Isis." Shafek growled. "I would be able to do nothing of value with it."

Kit's tongue stumbled as she continued explaining herself. "I didn't think he'd ask me to bring Imhotep back – I thought he'd want unobtainable riches or–"

"I grow weary of talking!" Shafek roared. "Bring Imhotep back, or I will sever this brat's head!"

"No," The woman whispered. She whirled, turning on Shafek, determination etching her features. "You _let him go_."

Shafek laughed incredulously. "Amunet –"

"Am I wearing the belt or not?" The brunette snapped, raising a poised hand toward the man. "I said let him go, or I will do some severing of my own." Rick's breath caught in his windpipe. Maybe they had a chance.

"_I cursed you_! You will not turn the tables on me!" Shafek hugged the blade tighter to the boy's throat. "If you think you can start giving orders –"

"I know I can." Kit replied. "Your magic can't touch me if I'm wearing the belt, can it? I won't be punished for disobeying your will as long as I have the power of Isis under control." The ground rumbled beneath their feet and Kit approached the man. "Now let my nephew _go_ or I will splatter you on the temple's ceiling."

Doubt riddled Shafek's features. His fingers relaxed and tightened in agitation on the knife's handle. "You can't wear that belt forever." The man growled. Using his free arm to lift the boy, he slowly raised Alex into the air as he spoke. "You are too weak to wield the power of the gods. I know you, Amunet. You'll collapse, you'll surrender its gifts. And my magic will _find you then_. At your weakest hour, you'll still be nothing more than a mortal, you pathetic _koos_!" And with that, Shafek hurled the boy at the woman. Kit's arms stretched forward to catch Alex as he fell, and with Kit focusing on her nephew, Shafek was able to slip behind Kit. "You don't deserve this!" He jutted the blade of his knife between the belt and Kit's body and yanked. One of the golden links snapped, scattering ivory and gold to the sandstone as Kit and Alex hit the ground. A breeze washed over Kit, stealing away her healthy complexion. Pallor slowly began to return to her face.

Shafek sheathed his knife and spread his arms towards the ceiling, foreign words slipping from his mouth in furious rhythm. He brought his hands together as though cupping the air together before hurling them towards the entrance. Aamir, still hovering there, cried out and cringed, expecting to be impacted by Shafek's motions. When nothing happened to him, he sighed only to let out a yelp as the Legionnaire skeletons on either side of the door began reassembling. Sand began filling their rib cages, fleshing fleshing out their bodies before they stood. They exhaled in menacing cloudy hisses upon being reformed.

Aamir pulled the javelin from the ground beside one of the skeletons before it could be grabbed and backed away, brandishing the spear in front of him to ward off the creatures. "Get behind me, you ass!" He yelled to Jonathan, grabbing the man prostrated against the wall and shoving him backwards.

"Anything you say!" Jonathan gasped. "Katrina, get behind Aamir!"

"Don't think so." Katrina rebutted, grabbing a hammer abandoned by the diggers and arming herself with it. She fell into step next to Aamir, her lip curled in a silent snarl.

The two Legionnaires entered the temple's chamber, one whirling his javelin and the other baring his sandy fists. The weaponless one went after Aamir and Katrina while the other rounded on Evy. Rick lurched forward, expecting to find himself still frozen, but to his delight his feet moved. He launched himself over to his wife, defending her body by placing his right in the Legionnaire's path. The Legionnaire chopped at Rick with his spear only for the blow to be blocked when the adventurer snatched ed up a fallen support beam to use against the sand abomination.

"Alex, get back!" Kit pushed her nephew behind her before she hurled herself at the man in red. Kit and Shafek clashed, the woman grabbing the Shafek's wrist just as he went for his knife. He grabbed her hair and wrenched her head back with his free hand. "I should have gutted you in that alley! I should have never saved you!" He snarled. The pieces of the belt were kicked in all directions as the pair tread over them, Shafek finally loosing his knife and struggling to inch it toward Kit's naked throat. A collision unexpectedly knocked both of them to the ground, sending the knife flying when Ardeth tackled the red robed man. Pinned to the floor, Shafek spoke words that became a roar. His mouth opened and sand barreled out of it, blinding and choking Ardeth. The Medjai wheeled backward, hacking and rubbing at his eyes as Shafek scrambled to retrieve his knife.

The weaponless Legionnaire swiped at Aamir with a sandy fist. The chief digger parried his blows with the javelin, jerking backwards and knocking into Jonathan. The pair fell in a tangle of limbs, and Aamir screamed, "Complete _jackass_ –" as the javelin was pulled from his grip by the sand soldier. The creature made a funny hissing nose that could have been taken as chuckling, but its glee was cut short Katrina grabbed one of the still-burning lanterns and clobbered the undead over the head with it. Oil caught fire as the tank and glass splintered, igniting the Legionnaire. Jonathan screamed as Aamir gave the undead a well-placed kick in its pelvis. The skeleton reeled backwards in time for Katrina to smash the Legionnaire's head with a swing of her hammer. Pieces of bone and clouds of sand exploded into the air, but the skeletal system collapsed, sand leaking from it as though blood. "What the _hell_ was that, Jonathan?!" Katrina demanded, throwing the hammer at the man.

Jonathan dodged the tool. "I panicked!"

"Rick, stop trying to protect me and help me take this thing down!" Evy cried, shoving her husband out of the way as the Legionnaire bore down on the man.

"Yeah, but –" Rick objected, almost staggering to the floor from his wife's shove.

"No buts!" The undead swiped at the woman with the javelin. She ducked the spearhead and backhanded the Legionnaire, making the sand creature stagger. The Legionnaire regained his footing as Rick lunged, beam in hand. Their shafts clashed several times until Rick knocked the spear from the skeleton's hands. The sand-filled abomination rushed Rick and the two tangled, falling to the ground. Coarse hands clutched at the man's throat, the skeleton screaming in his face as it attempted to squeeze Rick's life from him. The man's hands slapped down on the skeleton's forearms to no avail. Evy kicked at the skeleton, nearly planting her foot in her husband's ribs instead. Rick's eyes peered upward just as the Legionnaire's dropped spear sailed through the air, gouging cleanly through the Legionnaire's skull. The sand puffed from the skeleton, the bone structure collapsing as the abomination went limp. Rubbing his chafed neck, Rick turned to see it was Alex that threw the weapon. "What if you missed?" He demanded doubtfully.

"Come on Dad, I didn't." Alex grumbled. "That was good though, wasn't it?"

Shafek pulled himself to his feet, the knife glinting in his hand as he rounded on Ardeth, who was still recovering from the blast of sand. Kit flung herself on the red-clad man's back and he staggered to his knees. "Stop fighting! You are _mine_ Amunet –"

"_My name is Kit_!" The woman screamed, clamping a hand down on Shafek's throat. He whipped his blade up, cleanly slicing along Kit's forearms. She refused to release him even blood dripped from as her arms, so Shafek flung his head backward, connecting with Kit's nose. There was an audible crunch as her arms loosened and she fell to the ground, blood spurting from her nose and blotting the white linen she wore. Shafek turned to plant a good kick in her abdomen.

"You're going to pay for this slowly and painfully! A natural death will be only a sweet dream when you have my permission to die!" Shafek turned back to Ardeth as the Medjai staggered to his feet. He put up his fists, but Shafek simply leered with a confident grin. He lunged at the Medjai only to be rebuffed with a forearm smashing into his face. Drooling his own blood, Shafek staggered back a few feet and murmured something in Latin. The ground at Ardeth's feet became quicksand, sucking the man into the earth. "You should have died hours ago!" Shafek cried, taking his knife by the blade and aiming it for Ardeth's breast. "Better late than never." He pulled back and hurled the knife at the Medjai, who could do little more than put his arms up in hopes to block the blade.

Shafek had not noticed Kit struggling to her feet as he prepared to throw. She was already loping to help Ardeth when Shafek released the blade. The knife glinted as it flew, and Kit thought of nothing else to do. She leaped in front of Ardeth, embracing him as the blade sank into her back. Every muscle went rigid in the woman and a great exhale was released. The Medjai and woman toppled backward, Ardeth's feet sucking out of the mire when he fell.

"Kit!" Ardeth pulled her away from him to look her in the face. She was a sore sight with blood beading down her face, a stark contrast to the deathly pallor her complexion had become.

The woman was wheezing as her lips moved, no words escaping. Crying as she reached over her shoulder, Kit pulled the blade from her body with a yelp. She pulled in a ragged breath as she pressed the knife, slick with her own blood, into Ardeth's fingers. "Get him." It was only the breath of a whisper, but every syllable contained the ferocity of a roar.

Kit rolled to the ground and the Medjai pulled himself to his feet, his fingers sticky with Kit's blood as they curled around the knife's handle. "How does it feel to have blood on your hands, Medjai?" Shafek taunted. "Feel familiar?"

Ardeth would not play his game of words. Instead, he ran for the man, the knife poised and ready. Shafek spoke in Latin, sending sand exploding from the ground upwards, blinding and suffocating Ardeth as he ran – but sand wasn't going to stop him now. _Nothing_ was going to stop him. The Medjai plowed through the cloud of grit and collided with Shafek. The man in red shot his hands up to Ardeth's face, his fingers aiming for the eyes, but Ardeth let out a primal yell, thrusting the knife into Shafek's side and twisting.

The blade sank with ease. Shafek cried, his back arching and legs twitching. The exploding sand halted as the man threw his head back, screaming as Ardeth yanked the blade out and stabbed Shafek again, this time through the chest. Shafek's fingers clutched at Ardeth's robes, his eyes staring at the ceiling when he unexpectedly chuckled, bubbles of blood making their way from his lungs to his lips. They popped as he spoke. "I still... win. She's _mine_." Shafek laughed once more before convulsing – and then he was still. Ardeth released the man, letting him hit the sandstone. The inside of the temple chamber was silent as fingers of blood crawled from beneath the body. The storm outside had quieted and an eerie peace settled on the place.

"Oh God, Kit –" In his fighting, Rick hadn't seen his sister fall. Abandoning his support beam, Rick skidded to his sister's side. She wheezed on the sandstone floor, blood dripping down her cheeks from her nose. Her fingers grasped for Rick's hands, and he accepted them. She had fought, she had chosen – chosen what? Herself? Her family? Rick's feeling were somewhat mixed, but right now – damn it, _right now_ he wanted her to live so they could settle whatever had happened here. So she could apologize for what she'd done, make amends, leave their relationship at something better and give it a better ending than _this_.

"Rick…" The words were mostly mouthed and barely spoken. "Can't breathe." The pallor she possessed upon entering the temple had returned and her forehead was misted with perspiration. "Never meant for any of this to happen – I just wanted to find you." Tears trailed from her eyes, soaking into the hair behind her ears.

"You can apologize later, we gotta – We gotta get you out of here." Rick replied, kneeling next to her. He looked to Ardeth. "Ardeth, do you have a doctor or – _anything_ at your camp?" Ardeth's shoulders slumped, grimly shaking his head.

Kit shook her head. "A doctor can't help me." Her chest rose and fell laboriously, but the gurgling that came as she breathed was a sure sign the knife had pierced a lung, filling it with blood. "Shafek saved my life with magic; in return I had to obey. Follow orders... I must… keep to the accord. I'll die of malaria if not from the knife. But I think the knife will..." Kit struggled to breathe. "So sorry. I should have never – never –" She gurgled and Kit was still.

"No… No!" Rick stuttered. His hands tightened around Kit's still and bloody fingers. "Kit… _damn_ _it_." His voice broke and Rick brought both hands to cover his face, his shoulders shaking with emotion. Ardeth, his features plaintive, murmured something in Arabic, touching his forehead before gesturing to the air. Alex buried his head against his mother's stomach as she tried to choke back tears.

Katrina was the only one who moved as she solemnly approached the altar. Lying in the sand was the belt, useless and broken. Gingerly, she gathered the pieces. "Evy… This belt's supposed to let the wearer do anything, right?" Evy nodded vacantly, her eyes not moving from her bloodied sister-in-law. Katrina wrapped what was left of the belt around her wrist. "Think it has enough juice in it for one last go?"

"But it's broken –" Jonathan lamented. "Can it work broken?"

"She must try." Aamir insisted. "A camel –"

"Yes, we know your love of camels." Jonathan grumbled.

Katrina clutched the broken pieces in her hands as she approached Kit's body. Placing the hand entwined with the remnants of the belt over Kit's heart, Katrina clutched the separate bits ivory and gold in her other hand. "I don't know how... But here goes." Katrina closed her emerald eyes, exhaling as she did so. The temple was ominously silent as they all waited, breaths baited. For moments, nothing happened. "Come on... Come _on_!" The woman pleaded, her eyes squeezing shut even tighter. "Work. Work damn you, _work!"_

Perhaps it was Katrina's urging or it just took an extra moment, but as if on command, the pieces of the belt began vibrating, glowing as they did. Katrina's eyes opened, her mouth gaping in pure surprise as the belt pieces glowed, brighter, washing over Kit's body and growing in illumination until they were blinding. A breeze ruffled everyone's clothes and the light was vanquished. Kit sharply drew in a breath. Her eyes flickered and opened, perplexed. She shakily sat up. "Am I –?"

"Auntie Kit!" Alex bowled over his father, throwing his arms around his aunt's neck. She timidly embraced her nephew, pressing her face into his shoulder. Alex pulled away to look his aunt in the face before pulling away. "First Mum, then you! Cor, I'm too young for this!" Alex threw up his hands to beseech the heavens for a moment before pulling his aunt into another embrace. "I'll let it slide. _This time_."

Kit was lost for words, doing nothing for the moment but holding her nephew. Still embracing her nephew, she looked at Rick. "I swear, I'll tell you everything. I should have from the beginning but I... I'm stupid."

"We'll discuss your stupidity later." He looked to Shafek's lifeless body and the rest of the group. "First, let's get the hell out of this place." Alex released his aunt and Rick offered his sister his hand, which she accepted. Once she was pulled to her feet, Rick looked to the chief digger.  
"You still with us, Aamir?"

"Against my will, of course. But that can be fixed after we negotiate my new adjusted rates." The chief digger smiled and nodded. "After all, your expert over there –"

"Killed the bad guy." Ardeth interrupted, scowling.

"Yes, but my men and I did all the digging, checked for all of the booby traps. And –" The chief digger looked around the empty chamber. "I appear to be the only one who has endured. We'll talk price on the way back to Cairo."

"Looking forward to it." Rick muttered.


	9. Settling Things

The camp outside drowned in the sandstorm. There was no evidence of the O'Connells' tents or supplies, not even a swell of sand where the equipment tent had been. Only the camels were unscathed, wandering aimlessly around the temple. "Never thought I'd be so happy to see these flea bags!" Jonathan exclaimed, racing to the dusty beasts. The sun was setting as each person mounted their choice of the animals, and when they headed east, the camels without riders followed.

"Perhaps my price could be persuaded to be lowered if you give me these delightful creatures as a… bonus, or incentive." Aamir suggested. "I am open to suggestions. After all, a camel ride with friends is never long."

And indeed, the journey back to Cairo passed swiftly compared to the journey to the temple. Perhaps it was the lack of equipment weighing the beasts down or journeying through the night without the sweltering sun. Regardless, the party finally saw Cairo's skyline in the distance around noon the following day just as Rick, Evy, and Aamir finished negotiating his pay.

"I suppose that is a fair price for my," Aamir looked to Ardeth and cleared his throat before continuing, "Expertise. Add all the camels and you've got a deal."

"The camels were included from the start." Rick replied. "I don't have the room for these at home."

"I don't know Dad, we could knock out one of the walls in the garage –" Alex began.

"Alex, don't interrupt your father." Evelyn chided. The boy frowned and fell silent.

"I should have negotiated more, then! It is a deal." Aamir agreed, reaching over the side of his camel to shake Rick's hand.

"You will refrain from taking ownership until we arrive at our hotel, right?" Jonathan asked warily. "My legs are cramping horribly."

"Come on, Jon, walking's good for you." Katrina teased.

"Only if you're in front of me, Miss de Lujun."

"What is it you Brits say? Ah yes… You cheeky bugger!" Katrina thwapped the man gently on the shoulder and the casino owner just grinned.

Both Kit and Ardeth had been silent for most of the ride. Ardeth returned with the O'Connells and company to Cairo with the excuse that he needed to replace his horse. Besides some competitive banter between Aamir and the Medjai, he had said nothing. He chanced a glance at Kit as they entered the outskirts of the city. Her fingers were wrapped in the reins and dark bloodstains dribbled down the back of her linen gown. Ardeth didn't know whether he had a right to ask her anything before her family did. And while the woman had saved his life and ultimately made the "right" decision, she was nothing more than a mystery to the man.

They said goodbye to Aamir outside of the Grand Pyramid Hotel that was, indeed, within sight of the ancient landmark and the smaller pyramids accompanying it. Aamir's face glowed when he gathered up the leads of his new camel herd after accepting a thick fold of pound notes from Rick. "What is a digger going to do with all these camels?" Evy questioned the man as she patter her former mount's nose, genuinely interested.

"The temple made me realize digging is for jackasses." Jonathan bristled slightly at Aamir's words, but the digger did not notice. "Who wants to spend their entire life carting sand around to die in a cave in or something that clearly soars over your head? No, I'm giving it up." The former digger puffed out his chest with pride. "Going back to my roots, going to be a camel herder! This is a good start, I say." He grinned. "You know what they say – 'He who has no job should search for a camel!' Luckily, I have a dozen!" Aamir laughed at his good fortune. "Farewell!"

"Ardeth, you staying with us?" Rick asked as they entered the lobby. He looked to his withdrawn sister. _Get everyone settled and then you can talk to her_... "I'm already gonna have to pay for an entire floor with this lot –"

"And we are worth every pence." Evy reminded, kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Can't argue with that…"

"Perhaps for the night." Ardeth replied. "If you wouldn't object –"

"I asked, didn't I?" Rick replied.

The party made themselves comfortable in the hotel's largest suite, complete with two bathrooms, a common room, and a balcony overlooking the pyramids. Since their luggage had been swallowed by the sandstorm, they had to make do with what they had for the moment. A great rush was made to clean up in the facilities, but by early afternoon most of the occupants had taken to loitering about the suite.

"Ahhh…" Jonathan sank down on the sofa, grabbing a cluster of green grapes from the food service cart Evy had called up to feed the group. He slowly popped them off the vine and into his mouth, talking to Rick as he chewed. "Life is hard, isn't it? 'specially when you've been doing nothing but manly work for days…"

"We were at the temple for two. You worked for, what, a total fifteen minutes?" Rick asked, grabbing the newspaper next to the fruit bowl and, realizing it was in Arabic, snatched up the _The Egyptian Gazette_ instead.

"Yeah, and it was… hard." Jonathan observed, biting off a few more grapes. "Maybe I am more suited to casino work."

"Means you have to forfeit all of that chest hair."

Katrina entered the room then, her hair still damp from bathing. She paused and looked between the brothers-in-law. "What is it with your fixation on chest hair?" She sighed in exasperation. "You're just like Aamir with his camels."

"Am not!" Jonathan indignantly objected.

"Are too." Alex agreed, prancing back in from checking out the pyramids on the balcony. "Stop eatin' grapes Uncle Jon, we gotta go to the market."

"What for?" Jonathan asked, continuing to chomp on the fruit. "I thought we were done with camels."

"I am not staying in these clothes until we get back to London." Katrina objected, grabbing Jonathan's free hand. "Come on."

"Oh, alright," The man stashed his half-eaten grapes back in the bowl. "Women, eh?" He commented to his nephew as they trailed out the door.

Rick sighed, opening the newspaper as he sat in the large wicker chair across from the sofa. His eyes scanned blankly over the words, not really processing them. He knew he was just busying himself until –

"Hey." Lingering in the doorway leading to the bedrooms, Kit hung back as though she didn't want to enter the common room. She had been the only one not to make an efforts to get into the bathroom and wash herself. The blood-stained linen dress still clung to her, but she had removed the golden cuffs. The ivory and gold earrings still hung from her earlobes. "Are you ready, or should we get Evy?"

"I'm here." Evy strode from one of the bathrooms, her hair combed and parted. She joined Rick in his wicker chair and they watched as the younger woman crossed to the sofa, sitting on the very edge of a cushion. Rick folded the newspaper and set it on the side table, putting an arm around Evy afterward. Surveying Kit, he saw and sensed how much she had changed since the day before. From the day they reunited, she had been jovial, confident, and comfortable with their family. Since Shafek and the temple, she had withdrawn until Rick barely knew her.

But maybe that was the short and tall of it – he _didn't_ really know her.

Evy looked to her husband to begin, a hand squeezing his arm. Rubbing the unshaven stubble on his chin, Rick wasn't quite sure where to start. So he decided to start big. "How did you find us? Really?"

Kit slowly grasped each finger of her left hand with her right as she spoke, releasing the finger and moving to the next in a self-conscious and never-ceasing rhythm. "I didn't start looking for you until I was I returned to Sudan a year ago. I was too small to remember a brother, even with Mother's locket. I really did find those papers at the orphanage, and I wanted to find you but…" She chewed her lip for a moment before continuing. "I caught malaria. I had no money, I couldn't work, and for the longest time I just waited to die from it. Really. Thought about writing to you, but I didn't." Kit looked like she wanted to shy away from Rick's gaze, but she forced herself to look him in the face as she continued. "Shafek found me in Sudan, begging and barely alive. And he – Well, you saw his magic. He _did_ something to me, called it 'reading the soul.' And…" The woman shivered. "I will always remember the smile he gave me. It chilled me to the bone.

"He told me I was Amunet in a past life. About Imhotep and you and Evy and everything. He told me he could help me find you, get to you. He could save my life. But I had to find an artifact for him. And the famous O'Connells would surely be able to find it, booby-trapped or not." Kit sighed, her hands still fiddling as she continued. "Shafek planted the Latin book in the shipment to the museum and told me that I needed to find it and persuade Evy to go after the belt."

"But – The Latin, the museum, how could you be sure that I'd be forthcoming? How could you be sure someone else wouldn't get to the book first?" Evy asked, her brow furrowing.

Kit gave a hopeless shrug. "I don't know. Shafek said that all would come in time. I didn't question him, he was giving me the family I always wanted." Her eyes looked down for the first time since she began talking. "And uh... I really can't read Latin." Kit looked almost pained to say it. "Shafek's magic translated it both ways for me. There was no girl's school." Hesitantly, she looked back to Evy. "The only schooling I ever received was at the orphanage in Sudan. After that I was out on the streets with my friends. I _can_ speak Arabic and some German, but I've no idea how to write or read it."

"How else does Shafek fit into this?" Rick asked.

"He paid for my voyage to England and to get me to your door. And that… I _swear _that was it." Kit opened her arms, palms turned towards the heavens in supplication. "I had no idea what he wanted to do. He told me I could pay him back when we found the belt. He didn't specify the price and..." Kit swallowed hard. "I didn't think it would be too high until I found Ardeth in the quicksand. He had a habit of being in my head – er, Shafek. Not Ardeth. And Shafek demanded that I let Ardeth die." The woman paused, halting in her fidgeting. "I wouldn't. I _couldn't_."

Rick still had trouble taking this all in. He wasn't sure whether to trust her or believe her. He desperately wanted to accept everything Kit was saying, but Evy's presence tempered his desire to accept Kit as his sister once more with common sense. "But why would you still want to find us after he told you about Imhotep?" The man asked his sister. "He was driving home the point that you were Imhotep's child again and again. Why would you come find the people that defeated him twice? What did you really care about?"

"I like to think I'm not stupid." Kit replied. "I thought that he was just telling stories with Imhotep and Amunet – How in the world could such a thing be real? – but that was before he healed me. But even then I had my doubts." She admitted. "And this was something I knew nothing about and – Rick, Evy, would you want to be the child of a selfish monster who would destroy the world because he didn't get what he wanted in life?" Kit shook her head. "I know who _I_ am. I'm the daughter of James and Madeline O'Connell, sister of Rick O'Connell. I didn't and don't know this Imhotep even less than I knew you, Rick. Imhotep doesn't matter to me; you do. I only wanted to live long enough to find you, meet you… And see if maybe you had been looking for me too."

The trio sat in silence for a moment or two. "Where… does this leave us?" Rick asked slowly. "You could have gotten Alex, Evy, Jonathan, _hell_, all of us killed." Rick shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "And whatever trust I had in you before – It's all gone now, Kit. I'm not sure how we can rebuilt it." Evy's hand squeezed her husband's arm again and both man and wife fixed their gaze on the younger woman.

Kit's hands stopped fiddling with her fingers.. "I've been thinking about that." Now she broke eye contact, staring intently at the floor. "I've been thinking since the temple and I think it'd be for the best if I left –"

"Like hell you will." Rick was so abrupt in his denial that Kit looked up, jaw dropped in shock. "Just because we have problems does not mean that one of us leaves. I said that I wasn't sure how I can trust you again, but that doesn't mean I don't want to."

"But, like you said, I could have killed Evy, killed – killed Alex –" Kit's voice broke.

"Yeah, and you didn't. I'm not going to forget what could have happened but –" The man's voice went soft and wavered for a moment. "God, it _killed me_ to see you die, Kit. As much as your deal with Shafek hurt, I also realized I can't just – I can't go back to before I knew you were alive." Rick fell silent for a moment. Evy had stayed silent the entire time and as her husband contemplated, her hand rubbed his back soothingly. Rick had to clear his throat before he continued speaking. "You're my sister, Kit. Despite everything you did, I still find myself... loving you. I want you in my life, even if I am a bit pissed at you. That is, if you want to stick around."

"Of course I do!" Kit replied, her eyes wet. "I've always wanted a family. I hate, hate, _hate_ that I did this to all of you. And it makes me feel even more foolish because I knew, I _knew_ as soon as Shafek told me to kill Ardeth that I'd done something wrong that was going to affect all of us –"

"Then remember that." Rick said. "Remember that. You're my sister and I really want us to be family. God, do I ever. But just remember what could have happened and... I guess it's a start."

Kit managed a weak smile. "I can do that. I will do my best to make sure I never put you in danger again. I couldn't take it if I did."

"Then we're okay for now. And hey," Rick cracked a smile. "It's gotta be nothing but better from here."

"I have something that I'd like to talk about." Evy broke in, speaking slowly at first to ensure that her husband and Kit were done. When met with no objections, she continued. "About what Shafek said about Nefertiri and Amunet –"

Kit shook her head. "I don't really care about what he said. Everything was to bait me, to try and bend me to his will and bring Imhotep back." Kit shrugged. "I'd rather forget all that. Amunet isn't who I am – I'm Kit."

Evy nodded. "I understand, but..." She swallowed, "This is some selfishness on my part." Rick looked at his wife, his brow raised in curiosity. "Shafek said Amunet was tortured and executed by Nefertiri's behest – _my_ behest. And it's gnawing at me." She chose her words carefully before proceeding. "I want to find out if that's the truth."

"Hon, it doesn't matter –" Rick began.

"It does to me." Evy insisted. "Kit, do you know anything about Amunet apart from what Shafek told you? Have you had any dreams or memories that aren't yours?" Kit shook her head. Evy's lips scrunched together in disappointment. "I want to find Amunet and what happened to her. Who knows? If she was Imhotep's daughter, she could still figure into all of this."

"I'd rather not, but... If you both are so quick to give me another chance and this means so much to you, we could see what we find." Kit offered with a shrug. "I know who I am and anything about Amunet that might be uncovered won't affect that."

"Are you sure?" Evy asked. "Know what Nefertiri went through... It's changed me somewhat. It might change you, Kit."

"I guess we'll find out."

Ardeth left the O'Connells, Jonathan, and Katrina to relax in the hotel as his search began for a horse that could take him back to the Medjai camp. He took a piece of the belt with him when he left. Even though it was little more than broken bits of ivory and gold now, Ardeth wasn't sure if he trusted all the pieces in one place. The effect the belt had on Kit, even when broken, was both astonishing and terrifying.

He found a new mount in the marketplace before the sun set. The palomino had barely been broken, and while she was full of spirit and sometimes a bit stubborn, Ardeth thought the mare would be a good horse and a steady companion in the desert. The Grand Pyramid Hotel was decidedly more English than many other establishments in Cairo, but even so the hotel still had stables for its patrons who had yet to become motorized and instead preferred camels, jackasses, mules, and horses. Ardeth paid for his horse's stable for the night (O'Connell had already been good enough to pay for the Medjai's bed; he wouldn't add his horse's expense to the man's tab) and set about making the mare comfortable for the night.

Ardeth began rubbing down his horse after taking her through her paces around the pyramids and then galloping her through the fertile earth of the Nile's riverbank. He brushed sand from her creamy coat and then plucked up a pick and began cleaning rich Nile soil from the horse's hooves. She temperamentally batted the first hoof he handled, but after some firm words from the Medjai, she complied and let the pick dig around in her hoof.

"She's beautiful."

Ardeth's eyes moved to find Kit peering over the gate to the stall he had rented. She had changed from the bloodstained white linen gown to a simple blue one that lacked style, probably brought back from the market by Katrina, Alex, and Jonathan. Her blue eyes were large and meek, and her body lingering on the other side of the stall as though she were conflicted as to whether or not she should be present.

"Thank you." Ardeth finished rutting out the hoof. "Are you well?" He asked. Since the sandstorm and the temple, he had lost the ease he had felt around the woman. The jovial words and easy conversation were no longer there and Ardeth knew why. He had never suspected her, not until the sandstorm. And that scared him.

She nodded and leaned a little more on the gate. "Am I bothering you?" At a shake of his head, she continued. "I just wanted to apologize for..." For a moment, the woman looked a little scared, but she bravely continued. "I... I hesitated when you were in the quicksand. And I shouldn't have."

Ardeth released the cleaned hoof, grasping the pick tightly in his fingers. "I'm alive, am I not?" He asked after a pause. He moved to the other hoof, struggling slightly with the mare before she relented and allowed him to hold her hoof. "It's nothing."

"But I should have known then that I shouldn't have struck the deal with Shafek. I should have known to listen to you and tell you what to expect. If anything had happened to you –" Kit fell silent. "I would have never forgiven myself."

The Medjai was touched by her sentiment. He finished cleaning the hoof, releasing it and straightening up. He crossed to the gate, leaning on it slightly. "Kit, the only thing I could think to forgive you for is lying to my friends and putting them in danger." The words were not harsh but gentle. "And if O'Connell and Evelyn have already done that, it is not my place to hold a grudge. And I am very grateful, whatever you say, for you pulling me from Shafek's trap."

Kit was astonished into silence. "Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely relaxed for a warrior that spends most of his time in the desert guarding sacred ruins?" A faint glimmer of her former self sparkled in her eyes as she gave the slightest smile.

Ardeth laughed unexpectedly. "I have never been regarded as such. I was decidedly less so when I first met your brother –"

"I believe the words 'Leave this place or die' were uttered a lot?" Kit asked, brow arching. At Ardeth's surprised look, Kit shrugged. "Jonathan told me all about it when they came back from market this morning."

"Age has calmed by soul. Or at least the knowledge that the Creature did rise and was put down twice with the help of very good friends." The tension was slowly easing between the two and Ardeth found himself more prone to smiling.

"I enjoy your candor." Kit replied. "Would you say you're like a fine wine, then? More mellow with age?"

Booming laughter echoed from Ardeth's throat. "I am not a partaker of wine, so the comparison is sadly lacking on me." He and the woman smiled at each other. Ardeth unlatched the gate, gesturing for Kit to join him in the stall. She did, slipping in the narrow gap and leaning against the gate to close it.

"And before anything else, I just need to get this out." Ardeth nodded, bidding her to continue. "Thank you for your words of encouragement from the sandstorm on out. And I am very grateful you did to Shafek what I could not."

Ardeth was silent for a moment. He remembered the sight of Kit, bloodied and dying and strength it must have taken for her to pull the fatal blade from her back. Her words were quiet and yet booming as he asked him to kill Shafek. He swallowed, nodding as his golden eyes met with her blue ones. "You're welcome." The horse whinnied behind him, pawing at the ground.

"What were you even doing to that poor thing?" Kit asked, arching a brown brow and looking around the Medjai to the palomino.

"Cleaning her hooves – You've never seen a horse's hooves being cleaned?" Ardeth asked, moving out from behind the horse.

"Heavens, no. Horses were scary on the streets. One well aimed kick could make you take the long sleep in a minute." Kit replied, eying the beast. "My friend Chris got his foot broken by a big burly stallion once on the streets of Johannesburg. I prefer camels, myself."

"You and Aamir had the opportunity to became better friends than you are, then." Ardeth laughed, moving to the horse's right foreleg. The palomino fixed him with a beady stare and he gently tapped her on the nose. "You stop that."

"Doesn't the pick hurt them?" Kit asked, eying the tool in Ardeth's hands.

"Come here." Ardeth nodded her over, gently lifting up the horse's right front hoof. Kit approached and watched as Ardeth pointed out the anatomy of the horse's hoof, telling her the names of each part. He then continued. "Their hooves aren't solid, see? They sometimes get soil or rocks in them and need to be cleaned so they don't hurt themselves. So you just take the pick and make sure they aren't clogged with anything." Ardeth offered the pick to Kit. "Care to try?"

"Sure." The woman accepted the pick and, as she gently cleared the horse's hoof, said, "This is nothing like spearing scorpions."

"No." Ardeth agreed, smiling.

"Less tasty."

"That is true. But you aren't doing too bad."

Ardeth cleared the last hoof and, with the grooming done, gave the palomino a pat before feeding her a flake of hay. He and Kit exited the stall, latching the door behind them. "What are you going to name her?" Kit asked, resting her back against the gate.

"I was thinking..." Ardeth began, grinning sheepishly, "...Aasifa."

_"Aasifa?"_ Kit echoed, arching a brow. "Meaning 'storm?'"

"Short for Aasifa Ramliyya." Ardeth replied, breaking into an all out grin. Together, both of them identified the Arabic phrase as, "Sandstorm!" and Kit laughed heartily.

"You have an interesting sense of humor." She laughed, looking over her shoulder as the newly christened Aasifa chewed her hay.

"A sandstorm is the reason she's here." Ardeth said with a shrug. "And she has a rather... feisty temperament."

"And I bet you could lose her in a sandstorm with a coat like that." Kit laughed. "I like it. It's a good name."

Ardeth nodded and the two exited the stables, heading for the hotel. Camels milled about the bases of the pyramids in the distance, the setting sun casting long shadows in the desert. "I'll take my leave tomorrow." Ardeth informed Kit. "I do not wish to be a burden any longer when you all should be focused on getting back home."

"I'll miss your company." Kit said, giving him a nod and they continued walking. As they approached the doors to the hotel lobby, Kit halted and turned to the Medjai. "Can I... write to you?" Her question was sheepish, but her eyes didn't shy away from the Medjai. Ardeth gave the woman a questioning look. "I don't want to forget you. I'm sure I won't, but I'd like to write to you."

The idea was not unpleasant to think off. "I think I would like that." Ardeth replied with a smile. Kit returned the grin, and the pair headed for the suite.


	10. Amunet and Ardeth

"And this is for... Uncle Jon from Auntie Kit!"

Christmas this year was everything the idyllic holiday was supposed to be. Thick blankets of snow covered London and laid heavy on the O'Connells' manse. Their Christmas tree towered above the banister on the second floor; its boughs hung heavy with tinsel and baubles. Kit, Alex, Jon, and Katrina had tried their hand at putting candles on the tree as well but that only resulted in a burned rug and both Alex and Kit being sent to their rooms, despite the fact that Kit was a grown woman. Candles or not, the tree glittered in the pristine light shining through the windows on this jolly Christmas morn. Jonathan and Katrina had joined the O'Connells for the day and all assembled were in various pajamas, nightgowns, and slippers.

Alex tossed the round blue package at his uncle. Dotted on the furniture and floor of the parlor were various bits of wrapping paper as well as the disemboweled contents of the Christmas stockings. Jonathan had already peeled his orange and helped himself to the juicy flesh, scattering orange peel everywhere. He caught the package and ripped off the paper with a ravenous gleam in his eyes that was immediately snuffed when he saw his gift. "Socks?" He lamented, holding the bright orange bundle up in disgust. He shot Kit an unbelieving stare. "_Really_? Katrina, teaching Kit to knit was _the worst_ thing you could have ever done!"

"You said your feet were cold back in October!" Kit replied, laughing. "Come on, put 'em on!"

"I don't –" Jonathan objected, separating the large socks from each other and giving them a disappointed look.

"Oh come on, Jon." Katrina urged, nudging him with a slippered foot. "It's Christmas!"

"Alright, alright." Jonathan shuffled some wrapping paper aside and toed out of his slippers. Giving a long-suffering huff, Jonathan tugged on the socks and flopped backwards on the sofa, his expression glum. After a moment and a wiggle of his toes, the man begrudgingly admitted, "Toasty."

"You're welcome!" Kit laughed, chucking a piece of wrapping paper at the man. He batted it away with a smile.

Rick and Evy shared an arm chair, Evy clad in a purple robe with mauve leaves threading their way across the fabric and Rick in pinstriped pajamas Evy bought for the occasion. Their arms entwined each other as they watched the others unwrap their presents and playfully throw the paper at each other over some joke or witty remark. Evy met Rick's eyes and she quietly said, "Your sister, I swear."

"Your brother." Rick countered. The pair smiled, leaning in for a kiss before looking back to their family as Alex tugged another parcel from underneath the tree. "Dad, this one's for you from Uncle Jon." Alex tossed the package to his father who caught it with one hand. "Honestly, I'm the kid here. Where are my presents?"

"All good things to those who wait." Katrina promised the boy, and Alex frowned.

Jonathan sat up, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Hope you enjoy it, Rick. Had to have it flown in from America." The casino owner gloated, flicking bits of orange peel onto the floor.

"Jonathan, you stop that." Evy scolded. "Honestly, your tea cup and saucer are right there –"

"The orange peel is good for the wood Evy!" Her brother objected, looking scandalized.

Rick used his mouth to peel off the first strip of paper, his free hand being occupied with holding Evy. "Huh. It's a baseball." Rick commented, shaking off the excess paper. It wasn't until he saw the black squiggles on it that he inspected it further. "L-Lou Gehrig?!" Rick's eyes boggled and his jaw gaped. He was absolutely speechless, which didn't happen often.

Jonathan smiled smugly, looking rather proud of himself. "Happy Christmas, Rick."

The doorbell rang, causing Rick to tear his eyes from his prize and find speech once more. "Izzy can't be here for dinner already, can he?" Rick asked, looking to Jonathan.

"He told me he was spending Christmas morning with the bird." Jonathan replied.

"And who's that?" Katrina asked. "Is it Mitzi, the blond swinger?"

"No, I mean an honest to God bird." Jonathan replied. "He bought a parrot – You're right, Rick, I think he's trying to be a pirate."

Kit laughed and stood, stepping carefully over the mounds of wrapping paper as she pulled her blue robe on over her white nightgown. "I'll get it." She stopped at the Christmas tree, plucking out a large packet. "Here Alex, this one's from me." The woman handed it to her nephew before weaving around the furniture towards the front door. Through the frosted glass Kit could see a dark figure huddled up against the glass, trying to hide from the cold. Perhaps it was a vagrant relying on the charity of others? Kit wasn't sure who it could be otherwise as she pulled open the door. A cold gust of wind blew in and Kit's jaw dropped in shock to see a frigid Ardeth Bay trying to stay warm in his black Medjai robes. "Ardeth!" Her arms immediately wrapped around the chilled man in an embrace, which he returned. The hug broke and Kit said, "Come inside! It's freezing out here."

"I know." Ardeth commented wryly, shaking off fine white dust from his clothes, the product of blowing snow.

"What are you doing here?" Kit asked, helping the Medjai step out of his outer robe and accepting his boxy hat.

"You wrote and asked about whether there was anything that could be done for you and Evy." Ardeth replied, pulling an oft-folded envelope with Kit's misshapen handwriting on it from the inside of his robes.

"But –" Kit objected, missing the hook as she hung up Ardeth's things on the hat stand. She didn't notice. "You could have just sent us a letter!"

Ardeth almost looked hurt by the suggestion. "I believe that I am better than receiving a letter." He huffed.

Kit's cheeks flushed and she sheepishly grinned. "No arguing that."

Evy lowered her head against the back of the arm chair for an upside down view of Kit and their guest. "My word, is that Ardeth?"

There was a sudden commotion as the family lurched into motion to greet Ardeth, but he raised a palm. "Please, don't bother yourselves, friends. I didn't realize it was a family holiday."

"Well come in, have something to eat, and here," Evy stood, pulling one of the other armchairs closing to the crackling hearth, "Have a seat by the fire." She insisted.

"Thank you. Don't bother yourselves, I shall just remain a silent observer until you are done." Ardeth gave them all a nod and took the seat next to the fire, flexing his hands against the heat. Kit lingered close to him, refraining from reclaiming her seat on the sofa.

"But why are you here?" Katrina asked, her brow furrowed inquisitively.

"We'll get to that after you're all done. I apologize for interrupting – Is that a sweater, Alex?" Ardeth asked as the boy pulled a rich red sweater with jagged golden bands on either bicep from the wrapping paper.

"It's from Auntie Kit." Alex replied, shaking out the overly large garment.

"If you had let us known you were coming, I could have made one for you." Kit informed the Medjai, grinning.

Ardeth returned the smile, thanking Evy as she handed him a cup of tea complete with several biscuits and an orange. "I could use a new sweater." The Medjai joked, his eyes glimmering.

"I guess I know what I'll be doing this afternoon then." Kit replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Rick was still enamored with his baseball, but he looked up to Ardeth long enough to ask, "We're not about to be hauled off on some hijinks to stop evil from taking over the world, are we?"

Ardeth smiled as he took a drink of tea, holding the bowl instead of the handle. "No, this is a personal visit. Not uh... business. I promise."

"Enough chatting, back to presents!" Jonathan insisted, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Alex, where's my present for Katrina?"

Presents were opened, wrapping paper burned, orange peel thrown at Jonathan, and Christmas morning turned into Christmas afternoon quite pleasantly. While Alex, Katrina, and Jonathan trotted up stairs to change from their pajamas, Ardeth finally disclosed the reason for his visit to Evy, Rick, and Kit. "Kit asked whether or not the Medjai knew of any way to reveal memories from the past?"

"Yes." Evy confirmed. "I have searched through all I can to find _anything_ mentioning Amunet, but seeing as the Bembridge Scholars were unsure why Seti I died so early when his father and son had such longevity, it's not surprising to find nothing on the handmaiden of his daughter." Even though the Egyptologist's words were calm, her expression was one of frustration. "My dreams have almost stopped, and –"

"You want to know what happened to Amunet so it can calm your heart?" Ardeth asked. The women nodded, urging him on. "We do have methods, but they cannot be disclosed in a letter, nor are they anything that can easily be done by outsiders. I mean no offense."

"None taken." Rick replied.

"But I must warn you, if we call these memories forth – from both of you," Ardeth began, looking to Kit and then Evy, "They may reveal more than just what you want to know." Ardeth paused, hesitant to continue. "It could rip the veil separating your former consciousnesses from your present ones. You'll no longer be just Evelyn or just Kit, but truly Evelyn and Nefertiri at the same time, or Kit _and_ Amunet." Ardeth's golden eyes sought out Kit's blue ones. "Would you be willing to risk that?"

Kit looked to her sister-in-law, taking her hand. "Evy wants this to be settled. If she's up for it, so am I." Her fingers gave Evy's a squeeze.

Ardeth gave a solemn nod. "Then come. There are some things we must do first."

Amunet's breath wheezed fast and rapid as she slipped into the mastaba outside of Cairo's walls. The inky night had cloaked her between the city gates until she entered the large mud brick tomb. She followed the passageway leading to the interior of the crypt and up ahead she could see the flickering of torch light against the hieroglyphed walls. The young woman had no idea why Nefertiri and Ramses had allowed Anck-Su-Namun to be laid to rest in a tomb reserved for the dead of noble families, but now was not the time to dwell on the fact. Amunet's sandals made almost no noise against the mud brick as she drew nearer to the light.

Hair hung in heavy dark curtains on either side of her face and Amunet's blue eyes sparkled as she approached a bald man. His back was turned to her as his priests worked to break the seal on the door where the pharaoh's concubine was buried. Amunet raised a hand to touch the man on the shoulder, but he whirled around, dagger raised and lips curled in a snarl. His hand snatched hers and as he went to thrust his blade into her chest, Imhotep faltered and his blade stopped short.

"Amunet?" He breathed. He lowered the dagger, fingers still curled around the young woman's arm. "_What are you doing here_?" Father asked daughter harshly, his words barely more than a rushed hiss.

Despite her best efforts, Amunet's eyes became wet. She glared up at her father with impudence. "What are _you_ doing here, _iti_?" She asked. "If the Medjai find you, you will die." Her stomach shivered in the brief silence that followed as her father's dark eyes bored into hers.

After a moment, Imhotep's expression softened. His fingers relinquished Amunet's arm as he spoke and sheathed his blade. "That does not matter anymore. Do you not see what is at work here?" Imhotep grew excited, almost frantic, joining his hands with his daughter's. "If I can bring Anck-Su-Namun back, if I can triumph over Anubis and death – _Imagine Amunet_!"

"Can you hear yourself?" Amunet scolded, pulling her hands away. "What if you cannot? What if this all fails? What if you are known as nothing more than murderer of Seti –"

"It. Will._ Work._" Imhotep insisted. His hands flew up to cup his daughter's face, one thumb rubbing her cheek as he continued. "I am blessed by the gods themselves to have come this far! You should take heart, my child, for when this is all over you shall be a princess among slaves –"

"I do not _care_!" Amunet cried. "I was – I _am_ satisfied being your daughter. I want nothing else but to be the daughter of the pharaoh's trusted high priest." The young woman went quiet and then gently added, "Mother's been gone for ten years. You're all I have. If the worst happens –"

The seal of the crypt hissed open as it was finally breached, filling the passage with the smell of putrefaction. "My lord, we've opened it!" One of the priests called as the slab was slid out of place.

Imhotep looked back to the opened crypt, his face alighting with rapturous joy. Without looking to his daughter, the priest pulled away. "I must go Amunet –"

The girl grabbed her father's arm, tugging on it. "Where are you going?" She questioned. "Tell me, I can – I can meet you there. I can help. Let me help you, _iti_. I do not want you to die." Big tears rolled down her cheeks. "Or I can tell Nefertiri and Ramses you went elsewhere. I can buy you some time. I can ensure your success."

This sudden turn-around in Amunet surprised the man. "My sweet child…" Imhotep whispered, resting a kiss upon her brow. He embraced her, wiping her tears with the sleeve of his robe as he whispered into her ear. When he pulled away, the man advised his daughter,"Do not return to your mistress, do not even return to the palace. Just go. Meet me there and you will soon have a new mother – and our family will be more powerful than Nefertiri or Ramses or Seti could have ever dreamed."

"I love you, _iti_. If the worst should happen, please, _please_ know that I love you." Amunet promised, clutching at her father's hands.

"My lord Imhotep! We must hurry!" The same priest who announced their success called once more.

Imhotep smiled. "I know, my lotus blossom. Now go." Without looking to see whether his order was heeded, Imhotep turned and headed for the crypt. Amunet ran from the passageway, tears striping her cheeks and sandals slapping against the brick.

"Where _is_ she?" Ramses demanded, pacing in Nefertiri's quarters. The newly made pharaoh was an impatient man barely older than his sister. His head was newly shaven, ridding himself of the lock of hair he had worn on the side of his head and preparing his royal scalp for the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. He had developed a habit of rubbing his close-shaved scalp in irritation over the past few days, and he was doing so now.

Nefertiri sat on her lounge chair as still as a statue. Her eyes had not seen cosmetics for days due to the amount of weeping she had done since her father's murder. Her white cat Neit sat in her lap, tail twitching as they watched the young pharaoh pace. "Not everything can be done in haste, brother."

"It is _pharaoh_ now, Nefertiri." Ramses halted in his pacing, jabbing a finger in the princess' direction. "And I swear, if your little handmaiden has run off to help her father, Horus help me –!"

"She would not." Nefertiri replied, her words curt. Neit's tale twitched and the cat fixed the man with a beady stare.

Doors rumbled open at the entrance to Nefertiri's apartments. The white cat leaped from her mistress' lap as Nefertiri stood. There was the sound of clanking weapons and the slap of sandal against floor and finally Amunet batted aside the sheer curtains, falling to her knees at Nefertiri's feet. Members of the Medjai followed her.

Amunet's eyes were red and swollen from sorrow. Her breast rose and fell with exertion. She prostrated herself before Nefertiri, something that visibly rankled Ramses. "He means to take Anck-Su-Namun's body to Hamunaptra." The young woman gasped. "He means to bring her back – to spit in the face of Anubis and... He believes – he believes –"

Nefertiri fell to the ground in front of Amunet, coaxing her to look up. She firmly grasped Amunet's face in her hands. "Shh, you are safe here." She comforted. "What does he mean to do?"

"I – I am not sure." Amunet admitted. "He said that by the time he was finished, he would have more power than you, than the pharaoh." Amunet's face trembled in Nefertiri's hands and another tear fought its way down her cheek. "But he has already departed, he must be followed and quickly."

"You heard her!" Ramses barked to the Medjai. "To the chariots! Do not stop until he is dead, and punish him accordingly beforehand!" Amunet let out a heavy sigh, her body wracking with sobs at the pharaoh's words. The Medjai marched out, their calls ringing through the courtyard as they assembled. Nefertiri stayed on the floor with her handmaiden, doing the best to comfort her. The pharaoh strode to the balcony, watching the Medjai until they departed. When they did, he turned back to the two women. "I wish for both of you to stay here until the matter has been handled." He decreed. "I shall return when I receive word on their success." And with that, the pharaoh strode from the room, leaving the two women alone.

Amunet wept and, for a moment, Nefertiri did too. The princess pressed a kiss to Amunet's cheek and protectively embraced her. "Thank you." She whispered. "If justice is not served – Even if they do not find your father, thank you." Amunet said nothing.

Time refused to pass in Nefertiri's apartments as the two women awaited word that Imhotep had been capture or killed – or even that he succeeded. As dawn broke on the third day, Ramses entered his sister's apartments to find the princess and her handmaiden asleep in Nefertiri's bed. Instead of waking them, as he thought to do, Ramses sat in the lounge chair and waited for them to waken. Nefertiri was the first.

"Ramses – Pharaoh." She corrected herself, and then her stomach plummeted. "Has –" Nefertiri's words awoke Amunet, and she sat up ramrod straight. The handmaiden didn't dare speak a word; she only fixed her gaze on Ramses.

The pharaoh nodded at his sister. "Imhotep was captured before he could bring Anck-Su-Namun back from the dead. He was... treated severely."

"How?" Nefertiri asked. No tears glistened in Amunet's eyes at the news. She sat as though she were a statue.

Ramses looked hesitant to impart the method of punishment, but finally he spoke. "The Medjai administered the _Hom-Dai_."

_"What_?!" Amunet demanded, the volume and intensity of her voice causing the royal siblings to flinch. Amunet did not look somber; if anything she looked angry, outraged even. "What were you thinking?!"

"You forget your place, girl!" Ramses rebutted, his complexion turning ruddy with anger.

"If he ever rises, my father will be invincible!" Amunet continued, disregarding the pharaoh. "If anyone is ever fool enough to bring him back to life, not only will we suffer, but the whole world as well!" The young woman rose from the bed, approaching Ramses. "Did you forget that _Your Majesty_?"

Ramses struck the young woman across the face for her impudence. Amunet's head whipped to the side, but she made no sound – she merely glared at the pharaoh, as still as a statue. "It does not matter. We have the guardian of the Bracelet of Anubis on our side, do we not?" Ramses looked to Nefertiri, who was watching her brother in disbelief. "And we have the Book of Amun-Ra. There is nothing to fear." An uncomfortable silence rested throughout Nefertiri's apartments. Annoyed and still angered, Ramses shook his head. "It is done. Father's murderer is taken care of." He looked pointedly at his sister. "Make sure to keep your handmaiden in line, Nefertiri."

"That is enough, Ramses." Nefertiri snapped. Her brother's eyes narrowed into a glare, but he said nothing else as he walked from his sister's apartments.

Silence prevailed for a moment. "Amunet..." Nefertiri began softly once the pharaoh had gone. "If I had thought Imhotep would have endured the _Hom-Dai_ –"

Amunet silenced her with a shake of her head. "We both knew my father would be punished. This is worse but –" Her voice broke and she took a moment to compose herself, wiping tears away with her palms. "It is done. My father had to suffer for what he did to Egypt when he murdered your father. I just... I wish things could be different."

"As do I, Amunet." Nefertiri commiserated, rising from her bed and crossing to her friend. "As do I."

"If you do not wish me to be in your service any longer –"

"I would _never_ dismiss you." Nefertiri interrupted, taking Amunet's hands in hers. "You're more than my companion, Amunet. You're my friend." She smiled softly. "I would even call you my sister. Have we not grown together? Played together? Learned together?" Nefertiri shook her head. "Despite what Imhotep has done, I could never hate you for what he did. You are my closest friend."

"And I always will be." Amunet promised, squeezing Nefertiri's hands.

A sharp smell brought Kit back to her senses. She blinked twice, her vision slightly blurry. It cleared after a moment and she sat up, her head swimming. Ardeth pulled the bottle of smelling salts away from her, handing them to Rick. Kit could hear Jonathan and Katrina talking in the kitchen, and distinctly heard Alex complaining, "Aw, come on Uncle Jon! Kat, I am doing all the work with this God dang goose!"

"Watch your language, Alex, or I will tell when your mum comes round!" Jonathan threatened.

"I dare you to." Alex rebuffed. "And then I can tell her that you and Katrina –"

"What did you need help with?" Katrina interrupted. "Ah yes, the goose! Let's get busy."

"Is everything alright?" Ardeth asked, sinking on the sofa next to Kit, minding her legs. "Are you... yourself?"

Kit blinked twice, the overwhelming rhapsody of emotions she had just experienced silencing her for a moment. Cautiously, she nodded. She felt like herself and knew little else of Amunet other than what she had just experienced as the daughter of Imhotep. Evy let out a little moan on the sofa opposite Kit's and stretched, slowly pulling herself up to sit.

"Did you –?" Evy swung her legs over the side of the sofa, almost hitting her hovering husband as she did. "Did you get all of that?"

Kit nodded. "From the mastaba to Ramses declaring Imhotep suffered the _Hom-Dai_, I saw... felt everything."

"So I –I didn't hurt Amunet." Evy paused, biting her lip. She almost seemed afraid to ask when she queried, "Did I?"

Ardeth and Rick watched in silence as the pair talked, both oblivious to what the women had experienced. "I don't think so." Kit replied. "I think she wanted Imhotep to face justice and..." Kit threw her hands up in the air. They fell back down. "Evy, what does it matter? Amunet obviously held no grudge – And if she did, it doesn't have to affect us now."

"But –"

"Evy, it's all in the past." Kit said firmly. "Let it go. I'm me and you're you and we don't have to be chained to the actions of people we aren't anymore."

The Egyptologist looked like she was going to argue for a moment, but she stopped herself. Instead, she reached across to the sofa, squeezing Kit's hand.

"So... is that settled?" Rick asked cautiously. His expression was one of bemusement, but not curiosity.

"I think it is." Evy said with a smile. Her grin was quickly wiped from her face as a crash resounded from the kitchen. "Alex? Katrina?" Evy asked, rising from the sofa.

"Bet it's Jonathan..." Rick said under his breath and the couple swiftly left the front parlor for the kitchen.

"It's difficult for me to gauge," Ardeth said, looking back at Kit after his eyes followed the O'Connells from the room, "But I'm guessing you saw what you wanted to see?"

The woman paused for a moment before speaking. "I think Amunet sold Imhotep out." Kit replied. "She was very angry, very hurt. But she still cared for him... Even if her father was a killer."

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Ardeth stood. "I suppose I should take my leave. I've already interrupted your holiday –"

"Oh no you don't!" Kit objected, grasping Ardeth's hand to stop him. "Stay. Please stay. I mean... We are _not_ letting you out in the snow on Christmas, and that trip back to Egypt, that's a doozy." Ardeth smiled at Kit's insistence. Kit gave him an admonishing look. "Besides, all you've had is tea and biscuits. Dinner's almost done – Provided Alex and Jonathan didn't ruin it."

"I heard that, Auntie Kit!" Alex cried from the kitchen.

"It was Katrina, I'll have you know!" Jonathan chipped in. There was another crash and a yelp from Jonathan.

Kit raised a hand to her mouth to hide a snigger while Ardeth gave her a smile. "I would like to avoid the snow for as long as possible. And avoiding it while staying with you and your family does sound pleasant."

Kit dropped her hand to reveal a wide smile. "It's settled then." Teasing, she leaned forward and added, "Who knows, maybe you could borrow some of Jonathan's clothes and fit right in with London."

Ardeth did not look thrilled at the suggestion. "...I think not."

Almost a week passed. New Year's Eve arrived and _the_ place to be in London was Ahm Shere. Automobiles lined up around the block, exhaust spouting in cloudy plumes through the winter air. The interior was jam-packed with patrons gambling, drinking, and eating as a jazz band played the casino's main floor. The swingers, cocktail waitresses, and cigarette peddlers were all decked out in costumes with innumerable sequins and false jewels to ring in the New Year. After some conversation, the O'Connells and their guest had accepted Jonathan's offer of celebrating the New Year inside the Diamond of Osiris. They arrived a couple of hours before midnight, walking the traffic jam of automobiles and the few people huddled outside the doors, hoping that they could get inside.

Jonathan was the first to greet the party as they entered. "There you all are!" The casino owner was dressed in blinding white coat and tails. Diamond cufflinks that Alex could swear were as big around as his eyes almost blinded the boy as his uncle chucked him beneath the chin. Jonathan surveyed the party, exasperation clearly on his features as he surveyed Rick in his regular trousers, suspenders, and shirt with nothing but an old brown overcoat to try and hide his usual fare. "Could you not at least dress up, man? It's almost the New Year!" Jonathan scolded.

Rick gave a shrug. "Are you going to get after Ardeth for not changing either?" Indeed, the Medjai was draped in his customary black robes, looking shabby compared to the casino's other occupants.

"I could have loaned you a suit, you know." Jonathan reminded the Medjai.

Ardeth shook his head. "I am quite content with my own clothes. And I think I would have to grow shorter to be able to fill them out as well as you."

"That's right!" Jonathan concurred. "You're too damn lanky to match my girth."

"My thoughts exactly."

Jonathan abandoned his efforts with his brother-in-law and Ardeth, instead turning to Evelyn and Kit. "Well, you two look lovely at least!" His sister wore a long shimmery black gown with a lace wrap hung around her shoulders. Kit's light gray gown was more modest with draped sleeves, but the back was cut low enough to give others a view of a sliver of her back. "Alex, well dressed as always."

"Per usual, Uncle Jon." Alex gloated with a smirk, straightening his red tie and rolling down the cuffs of his gray suit.

Jonathan beamed with pride at Alex's candor. "Katrina won't be joining us until after her set, but Ardeth, you _have_ to try this game called blackjack..."

"Oh no you don't." Kit's left arm was already linked with Alex's but she looped her right arm around Ardeth's, pulling the Medjai away from Jonathan. "Your casino is _not_ fleecing Ardeth. Not tonight, anyway."

"I was just gonna show him –" Jonathan sighed with exasperation.

"It is for the best." Ardeth promised, unable to contain a giddy smile at Jonathan's upset. "I only have luck when I wager on races."

"And shouldn't we be getting into the lounge anyway, Jonathan?" Evy insisted.

Jonathan grumbled as he led the party across the crowded main floor. "Bunch of killjoys, the lot of you."

The Diamond of Osiris was considerably less crowded than the casino floor, but the press of people within was still considerable. Couples in flashes of color and different styles of clothing whirled around the dance floor while other revelers ate, drank, and laughed. Katrina had already assumed the stage, singing a thoughtful ballad when the party entered. They had relatively little problem finding their table, the same one the O'Connells had sat at the night they met the lounge singer months ago. The curvy brunette gave them a wink as she began singing the chorus with gusto. "_Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you_..."

"Hey, sweetheart," Rick said to Evy, bouncing his eyebrows at his song-matching nickname, "Care to dance?"

"Do your worst, Mr. O'Connell." Evy replied, letting her husband escort her onto the dance floor where they were soon swallowed up by other dancers.

"Let's get us a bottle of champagne!" Jonathan proclaimed, waving over a waiter. "What's the New Year without a little bubbly?"

"Perhaps we should get some milk for Alex?" Kit suggested.

"Why can't I let loose with some lemonade?" Alex moaned. "It's New Year's Eve for cripes sake!"

"Maybe we can sneak you a glass of champagne, Alex." Jonathan suggested with a wink as the waiter popped the cork off the bottle, catching the falling foam in a fluted glass before it hit the floor.

"I don't think that would be wise." Ardeth objected.

"Who else will be able to drive you lot back home after tonight if not me?" Alex asked with a cheeky grin.

"You are a more responsible child than I ever was. That is to be commended." Jonathan said, toasting his nephew with his foamy glass. The waiter offered glasses to the Medjai and the woman, but they both declined. He left the bottle and Jonathan sighed. "What'd I say? Killjoys, the lot of you."

The conversation ended as the song wound down and applause echoed through the lounge. All present turned to look at the singer on the stage. Katrina grinned at the audience, pulling the microphone stand closer to her and she spoke. "Thank you. Now, as many of you know, this will be my last night performing as a singer –" Gasps of surprise and distress echoed throughout the room and the brunette laughed. "I know, I know, but I'm hanging up my microphone! I will be entering Queen Mary College in the new year to pursue a study in the fields of history and – Oh, thank you." The woman's emerald eyes sparkled at the polite applause riddled throughout the crowd. "And, unfortunately my lovelies, this will be my last song – my swan song, if you will." There were groans of disappointment, but Katrina hushed them with a gesture. "Not to worry! My faithful band will continue to regale you until well into the New Year! So without further ado, let me sing you my favorite song from when I was a girl – and may it come true for all of us in 1935!" There were a few cheers at that and Katrina's band struck up _I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise_.

Ardeth stood from the table, making sure that his robes were tucked properly. He smoothed down his hair and Jonathan asked, "Plucking up the courage to dance, are you?"

A slight flush colored Ardeth's face and he disregarded Jonathan's question. Instead, he crossed to Kit, bowing stiffly. "May I have this dance?" He asked, almost drowned out by the swell of the brass instruments.

Kit smiled, looking to Alex quickly and asking, "You'll say no to any offer of liquor from your uncle, won't you?"

"I will, Auntie Kit, there's nothing to worry about." Alex replied. The mischievous grin that accompanied his words did little to sate her fears, but there was nothing for it.

"I'd love to, Ardeth." Kit replied, placing her hand in his. The Medjai clutched it tightly as they wove through the crowd, heading for an empty plot of dance floor.

Katrina crooned, "_All you preachers who delight in panning the dancing teachers, let me tell you there are a lot of features of the dance that carry you through the gates of Heaven..._"

"I confess," Ardeth began to admit when they finally faced each other on the dance floor, Kit's free hand on his shoulder and his own dangling at his side, "I do not know how to dance."

The woman smiled at her dance partner. "I'm told there's finer points to it, but all I know is to turn in a circle depending on how fast the music is. And your hand goes here." She gently guided Ardeth's free hand to her back before replacing her hand on his shoulder. "It's all spinning in circles from here."

Ardeth chuckled. "That I can do." He said, and for a few verses, the couple careened around the room at a slower and clumsier pace than the other couples. They passed Evy and Rick once, giving each other a nod before they disappeared into a swell of people. "I'll miss things like this when I go back home." Ardeth stated as the trumpet took a solo, his eyes leaving Kit's face for a moment to drink in the activity of the lounge. "The desert is so much more simple than this. The last time I was in London I didn't get to partake in more than an ill-fated bus ride."

Kit's eyes widened. "Is that why you were so fidgety when Alex and I took you to the theatre last weekend?" She looked horrified at the revelation. "...We could have taken Rick's car, you know."

Ardeth laughed again. "Don't trouble yourself. It was uh... Soothing. And proof that a stolen motor bus is handled much differently than when one is driven by a professional."

"Stolen –" Kit echoed and then, eyes rolling, she deduced what Ardeth was talking about. "Jonathan?"

"Jonathan." The Medjai confirmed.

Katrina began singing again, and though the song was exceedingly upbeat, the couple found themselves slowing in their dancing as they continued to speak. "You could stay." Kit suggested, giving Ardeth a sly smile. "Have Aasifa shipped here; I'll convince Rick to build stables for her."

Ardeth's deep laugh rumbled in his chest. "I do not think England's damp would agree with her." He lamented.

"Heated stables then?" Kit asked. They both laughed. "I don't see how well that would work with all the hay."

The Medjai chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Aasifa I could live without. But you..." The pair almost stopped their revolving. Ardeth's fingers curled around Kit's hand, warm, weathered, and gentle. "I will miss you, Kit. I've grown fond of your letters but your writing is not nearly as wonderful as talking to you."

"If you can't stay, I could come with you." Kit's eyes sparkled at the prospect. There was a beat of silence and then the hurried excuse of, "I'm a little tired of all of this snow anyway."

The pair did stop their dancing at this point. The Medjai could tell that, despite Kit's jests, her suggestion of coming with him was serious. "But what about Rick and Evy? Alex?" Ardeth paused. "Katrina? Even Jonathan? Won't you miss them?"

Kit changed into the shadow of a shy girl. Color flushed her cheeks as she quietly confessed, "Not as much as I'd miss you."

Ardeth's heart thundered in his chest and his entire being grew warm. He grinned at Kit, and she returned the smile. They said nothing, for words were not needed. Instead, Kit leaned to Ardeth, resting a head upon his shoulder as Ardeth's arm moved upwards to embrace her, his hand tightening around hers.

The trumpets ended the song with an excessive flourish and applause thundered throughout the lounge. "Thank you! Thank you!" Katrina cried as roses sprinkled the stage, landing at her feet. The applause continued even as she bowed off and as the pounding of clapping hands dwindled, Ardeth and Kit pulled apart.

"Come on." Kit urged, her hand hugging Ardeth's tightly. "Let's go back to the others – toast to the New Year and new beginnings." And with that, the couple weaved through the crowd, returning to their friends and loved ones a bit happier than they had been before.

**Thank you for reading! Keep an eye out for the second installment of this AU series entitled "Withstanding Destiny" due out before Summer 2013!**_  
_


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